Tech Desk 
May 25, 2024
With only few weeks left for the Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024 — scheduled from June 10 to June 14 — the Cupertino-based company is expected to make developer-focused announcements on the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, along with the other innovations.
Big tech companies like OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google have all organised events in the last three weeks where AI was the main topic of conversation, along with eye-catching new developments in their technology.
However, they've been demonstrating their products for quite some time — OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot, for example, debuted in November 2022.
Analysts told Business Insider that if the tech giant wants to keep investors pleased, it will need to talk about AI at WWDC.
Dan Ives, Wedbush Securities managing director, WWDC, described WWDC as Apple's "most anticipated event in a decade".
The four-day conference at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, follows Apple's "Let Loose" event on May 7, which showed new generations of the iPad Pro, iPad Air, and related accessories but did not reveal its AI aspirations.
However, the launch of Apple's M4 processor, which Apple billed as a "outrageously powerful chip for AI," was a strong indication that an announcement will be made at WWDC.
Read more: Apple Vision Pro to hit Chinese shores ahead of WWDC
Apple CEO Tim Cook was likewise ambiguous regarding Apple's AI plan during the company's earnings call on May 2. The CEO spoke about "big opportunities across our products" for generative AI and assured that Apple is "well positioned" to enter the market. All of this has left investors clamouring for further information.
Apple might consider forming a partnership with another corporation. Gene Munster, the managing partner at Deepwater Asset Management, said that Apple is "so far behind" the competition that he expects a deal with OpenAI to close the gap.
In addition, last month, the two companies: Apple and OpenAI, were exploring a prospective commercial arrangement that would bring OpenAI's technology to iPhones. Apple is also in negotiations with Google to license its Gemini chatbot.
Munster also added that he expects Siri will undergo significant enhancements, resulting in a more useful and conversational speech assistant powered by AI.
Whereas Apple may be late in announcing its intentions, observers believe it still has firepower in the AI arms race.
"Apple doesn't have to be first, but it can't be on the outside looking in when it comes to AI," Ives said.
