Apple is using the emerging technology to improve basic functions in its new gadgets. Without using the words “Artificial Intelligence” to describe the emerging technology, Apple showcase a new series of iPhones and a new Apple watch that include improve semiconductor designs that power the new AI features.
This features largely improve basic functions like taking a call or snapping better images.
Artificial intelligence didn’t come up at its June developer conference either but has for months quietly reshaping Apple’s core software products behind the scenes.
As Microsoft and Alphabet’s Google set ambitious goals for the level of transformation with their AI efforts.
Industry leaders have warn about the potential harms of the uncheck development of new tools such as generative AI.
Apple built the Series 9 Watch with a new chip that includes improve data crunching capabilities, notably adding a four-core “Neural Engine” that can process machine learning tasks up to twice as quickly.
This Neural Engine is what Apple calls the building blocks for its chips that accelerate AI functions.
The AI components of the watch chip make Siri, Apple’s voice assistant, 25% more accurate.
But including the machine learning chip components also enable Apple to launch a new way to interact with the device: people can “double tap” by finger-pinching with their watch hand to do things like answer or end phone calls, pause music, or launch other information like the weather.
The idea is to give people a way to control the Apple Watch when their non-watch hand is busy holding a cup of coffee or walking a dog.
The feature works by using the new chip and machine learning to detect subtle movements and changes in blood flow when users tap their fingers together.
Apple also show off improve image capture for its lineup of phones.
The Apple has long offer a “portrait mode” that can blur the backgrounds using computing power to simulate a large camera lens.
But users had to remember to turn the feature on.
But now, the camera automatically recognizes when a person is in the frame and gathers the data need to blur the background later.
Apple is far from the only smartphone maker to add AI to its hardware.
As Google’s Pixel phones allow users to erase unwant people or objects from images.
Apple Watch Are ‘Carbon-Neutral’
Apple said that three of its Apple Watch models will come in what it calls carbon-neutral versions sporting a new green logo on their boxes, and the biggest change is that more of the transportation will be by boat instead of planes.
As Apple aims to be carbon neutral by 2030, including its supply chain.
One of the biggest challenges to achieving that is cutting emissions from Apple’s speedy transportation network, which relies heavily on planes.
Apple was using planes to haul consumer electronics from factories in China to destinations around the world, helping reduce the inventory it needs to hold and boosting its profits.
For the three new watches, half of shipments by weight, from factory to destinations such as regional distribution hubs, will happen over boats, trains or other non-air methods that burn less fuel and create fewer carbon emissions that warm the planet, Apple executives said in an interview at Apple’s Cupertino, California, headquarters.
The three green-tag versions of the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Ultra 2 will have lower emissions than Apple’s baseline estimations based on previous products, and Apple will buy carbon offsets for remaining emissions, said Lisa Jackson, the head of the company’s environmental and governance efforts.
Lisa Jackson said :
“We could in theory do that (buy offsets) tomorrow, and everything would be carbon neutral, but we wanted to be really clear that we’re taking action on everything we know how to do to reduce (emissions) with existing technology,”.
Apple has said previously that a Apple Series 8 watch created 33kg of carbon emissions, from raw materials to delivery to end customers.
The new climate-friendlier aluminum Apple Series 9 with a sport loop band will have 8.1kg of emissions remaining after Apple’s changes, and the company will cover that remainder by buying carbon credits.
That compares with 29kg of emissions for the standard stainless steel version of the Apple Series 9 with the same band.
Apple has been focus on cutting carbon emissions for some time.
All new watches, including standard editions, also use custom alloys of aluminum and titanium that are made from recycle materials and batteries that contain only recycle cobalt, a mineral whose mining poses both climate and human rights concerns.
John Ternus, Apple’s hardware engineering chief, said :
“We’re absolutely planning to roll that out across more of Apple’s products in the future, As we push forward and we engage with suppliers on these recycled material supply chains, we find that we’re usually the first ones talking to them about it.”
The green-tag watches will cost the same as the standard versions.
Executives did not comment directly on whether they would be less profitable than the standard ones, but Liza Jackson said Apple is focus making changes that it and other businesses can carry into the future.
Liza Jackson said :
“In order to make this replicable, it couldn’t be a premium, because most businesses are willing to make the change, but they need to still be able to be in business, make money and pay their workers and buy materials,”.
