Apple is not new to the artificial intelligence hype train that has consumed Silicon Valley.
The multi-trillion dollar company adopted the neural engine chip in its iPhone X in 2017, specifically to enable quick face recognition for the Face ID authentication feature, and launched one of the first A.I.-powered virtual assistants with Siri in 2011.
While Apple has lagged behind its Big Tech counterparts because A.I. can be at odds with the companys mission for data privacy, its pushing forward with these ambitions methodically to ensure the best of both worlds, according to Apples director of A.I. and M.L. engineering Yael Garten.
We put a lot of focus and thought and energy into how we can create great machine learning-based products that are also privacy-preserving, Garten said at Fortunes Brainstorm A.I. conference in San Francisco on Monday.
The tech giant has created a number of innovative products using A.I., such as the Hey Siri voice recognition feature and Apple Watchs sleep tracking function. Garten told the audience that products like these come from the companys obsession with the end-user experience. As The Verge once put it, Apples A.I. plan is a thousand small conveniences.
I personally dont think that A.I. and machine learning is the solution to every problem, Garten said. So I do really think it comes back to the core of asking what is the business problem Im trying to solve.
Due to the overwhelming amount of fanfare surrounding A.I., technologists have to scrutinize what the best use cases are. A company doesnt have to power every product they release with A.I., but theres a lot of ways to be incredibly innovative if its used methodically. So its really important to focus on what is it that youre trying to deliver and identify, Garten said.
Is there a simpler solution? Or its actually the right time and space for you to go and invest in a machine learning-based approach or artificial intelligence-based approach? Garten said. So really thinking through that construct is something that helps set it up for success.
Our new weekly Impact Report newsletter will examine how ESG news and trends are shaping the roles and responsibilities of todays executivesand how they can best navigate those challenges. Subscribe here.
