Apple is making big investments in artificial intelligence to catch up with competitors like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, who have made strides in generative AI and large language models. Despite being an early player in AI with Siri’s launch in 2011, Apple has faced challenges in improving its virtual assistant, which now lags behind Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s Gemini-powered assistant.
The company recently placed a $1 billion order for NVIDIA’s GB300 NVL72 systems. These systems are designed for high-performance AI reasoning and include 72 Blackwell Ultra GPUs and 36 Grace CPUs. This hardware is said to give a 50x improvement in AI output compared to earlier technologies. The move is part of Apple’s broader efforts to expand its U.S.-based data centers and build new server manufacturing facilities.
Apple has been working on improving Siri with more AI capabilities but has encountered delays. Generative AI upgrades for Siri are now expected no earlier than 2026. Internal testing has shown reliability issues, with features working only 66-80% of the time. These delays have led to leadership changes, with Mike Rockwell, known for his work on Vision Pro, taking over Siri’s advancement from John Giannandrea.
Competitors have been quicker to add generative AI to their platforms. Amazon recently launched Alexa+ powered by generative AI, while Google added its Gemini model to its assistant last year. Microsoft continues to lead with OpenAI-powered tools like ChatGPT. Apple’s slower progress has raised concerns that it may fall further behind unless it accelerates its efforts.
Apple’s investments in NVIDIA hardware and data center expansion show a commitment to improving its AI capabilities. If successful, these updates could bring new generative AI features across Apple devices while maintaining the company’s focus on privacy through initiatives like Private Cloud Compute. However, the delays in Siri upgrades could impact Apple’s competitive position unless it can address these issues quickly. The coming years will be crucial Apple orders $1B in NVIDIA AI hardware to improve Siri and expand data centers, aiming to compete in the growing AI market.as Apple works to meet growing demands for AI-driven technologies.
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