Apple to Open On-Device AI Models to Third-Party Developers at WWDC 2023

Apple is reportedly set to open up its local large language models to third-party developers, according to Bloomberg. This move comes after years of tight control over the AI technologies that power the company's intelligent features. By providing a software development kit (SDK), Apple will enable developers to integrate these smaller, on-device models into their own applications, much like Google’s upcoming release of Gemini Nano AI APIs for developers at the Google I/O event today, as reported by Android Authority. Developers have been able to use some limited AI features from Apple, such as AI writing tools for tasks like summarization and text rewrites, and the company's image generation capabilities, known as Image Playground. However, the new SDK will offer more substantial access, without initially including models running in Apple's cloud. Apps that currently rely on external AI models, such as ChatGPT, Grok, or Anthropic, are not expected to be significantly impacted by this change. Apple is poised to reveal these enhancements at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which kicks off on June 9th. Mark Gurman, a Bloomberg reporter, suggests that the release of the SDK will be one of the major highlights of the event. Additionally, there is speculation about a significant update called "Solarium," which aims to unify the user interfaces of iOS, macOS, and iPadOS, bringing them closer to the design of the Vision Pro operating system. This strategic move underscores Apple's commitment to expanding the capabilities of its AI technology while maintaining privacy and security through on-device processing. By giving developers greater access to these tools, Apple hopes to foster innovation within its ecosystem and enhance the user experience across its platforms. The anticipated WWDC announcement is likely to generate considerable excitement among developers and tech enthusiasts alike, signaling a new era in AI development for Apple products.