Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has shared his quick review of Apple Intelligence in an interview with Bloomberg Television. Apple Intelligence is a suit of AI-powered tools available for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, some of which started to roll out for the general public from October 28. Woz was among the early adopters of beta software that gave him early access and he has been experimenting with the new AI-powered features, although he was quick to point out that he needs more time and experience to form a definitive opinion.
“I just installed [the update] along with everyone else… and I tried a few little [things] like Siri searches… and they worked fine,” Wozniak said, hinting Siri—Apple’s long-time virtual assistant—might just be beginning to get better and more useful. However, he maintained his cautious stance: “I like to use things for a long time before I really comment on are they good are they worthwhile.”
Woz who is known for his meticulous approach to understanding technology, expressed his preference for reliable tools and his wariness of large language models’ potential inaccuracies. “I want things to be really that I know it’s accurate,” he said, emphasising his desire for verifiable information and expressing it in his own words aligning with his definition of “actual intelligence.”
He acknowledged the pressure on big tech companies like Apple to monetise AI, but showed confidence in Apple’s ability to navigate these challenges responsibly. He highlighted Apple’s commitment to user privacy and employee well-being as positive indicators.
Addressing the financial implications of AI investments, Wozniak recognised the concerns surrounding Apple’s reliance on iPhone sales. However, he remained optimistic about its performance and ability to diversify its offerings.
When asked about Apple’s current stock valuation, Wozniak, true to his nature, steered clear of financial analysis. “Yikes, I’m a user type person not an investor,” he quipped, reiterating his focus on personal happiness over market fluctuations. “Smiles minus frowns,” he declared.
Wozniak’s measured response to Apple Intelligence comes in the wake of Apple announcing its fiscal Q4 2024 earnings, recording impressive growth with a revenue of $94.9 billion, up 6 percent year-over-year, and renewed expectations that some of these AI initiatives might boost growth in the coming quarters.
The first set of Apple Intelligence features focus mainly on helping you summarise text, write better, and clean up photos. Later in December, with the iOS 18.2 update, you’ll be able to use ChatGPT right on your Apple device and even generate completely new images just by describing what you want to see.
