Apple's ChatGPT Rival? iPhone Maker Starts Testing AI-Powered 'Ask' For Customer Service

In a move to enhance its technical support, Apple Inc. AAPL has launched a pilot program for a new ChatGPT-like AI tool named "Ask."

What Happened: The "Ask" tool, akin to OpenAI's ChatGPT, will be utilized by a select group of AppleCare support advisors to generate automatic responses to customer’s technical inquiries, reported Macrumors.

The tool pulls relevant data from Apple’s internal knowledge base to answer questions, and advisors can rate the responses as “helpful” or "unhelpful."

Apple is promoting the use of "Ask" over traditional search methods for addressing complex or unfamiliar issues. The responses generated by the chatbot are factual, traceable, and beneficial as they are linked to Apple’s internal knowledge base.

Apple intends to expand the tool to more advisors in the future, after gathering feedback. The company is expected to adopt generative AI extensively this year, with iOS 18 expected to feature many new generative AI features across various applications.

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Generative AI gained popularity in late 2022 with the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, a chatbot that responds to text and voice prompts like a human. Apple’s "Ask" tool is seen as a step in the same direction.

Why It Matters: Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, first mentioned AI during the December quarter earnings call, sparking excitement about the company’s future prospects.

Cook’s mention of AI was seen as a signal of Apple entering a “new growth cycle," with AI and the iPhone being its two primary growth drivers.

Previously, during the third quarter earnings call in August 2023, Cook revealed Apple’s extensive research on ChatGPT-like artificial intelligence technology.

The launch of the "Ask" tool aligns with Cook’s earlier statement about Apple’s ongoing work in AI, which he said would shape the future and that the company would continue to invest in innovative technologies like these.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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