Apple has faced challenges in establishing its presence in the realm of generative AI thus far, yet the company remains determined to emerge as a genuine rival in the sector in the near future. In line with this, indications of an AI-driven “Support Assistant” for the Apple Support app were discovered in Apple’s code this week by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris.
From his observations, iPhone users will have the capability to interact with the Support Assistant within the Apple Support app, which can be downloaded for free from the App Store. Perris also highlighted that the app already features a chat option. Users can engage with a live Apple support agent through the app, initiating a conversation via the Messages app.
Presumably, the AI-enhanced Support Assistant will present a different approach. The anticipation is that users will be able to communicate directly with the chatbot from the app and obtain assistance while the assistant leverages its generative AI training. The option to connect with a live agent still exists, but users might opt to gather the information they require from the AI initially.
According to the code reviewed by Perris, the Support Assistant “employs generative models” to deliver responses “pertaining to specific Apple products and services.” Like other AI chatbots, Apple cautions that the Support Assistant may produce “incorrect, misleading, incomplete, offensive, or harmful outputs,” so it’s advisable not to follow its guidance without discretion.
Perris also discovered a mention of content uploading in the code, which could suggest that users will have the ability to upload documents or images while seeking assistance from the AI. Additionally, Apple mentions collaborating with partners to develop the Support Assistant, raising the possibility that the new feature is powered by ChatGPT, akin to other recent introductions like Writing Tools.
It remains unclear when (or if) the feature will be officially launched, but it’s among several new initiatives underway for Apple’s operating systems that have yet to be publicly revealed. For example, we recently learned about two new features for Apple Maps just yesterday.
