While today’s tech world looks to increase engagement by keeping users glued to screens, Apple is walking a different path. Thumbing up at the addictive and commercial appeal of AI chatbots, Apple’s idea is that technology is not about ruling people’s lives, but behind the scenes to make life easier.
What is the function of AI chatbot? What does AI create? Not entertainment, not art, not bonding, not productivity. At least from the deluge of misinformation that these confusing chatbots are pouring into people’s lives, AI does not create a deep sense of the human world.
So what is the real answer? The real answer is long-term dependency or what various social media companies say positively, ‘engagement’.
Macworld reports on Apple products, services, and their ecosystem. AI is designed to encourage people to use more AI, and everything else is incidental.
Such is the nature of chatbots in general. However, some companies claim to be an exception. For example, Apple’s top executives were interviewed last week on a technology podcast called ‘Mostly Human’, where they contrasted their newly unveiled ‘Siri AI’ with the gimmicky tactics of retaining users of other AI services.
Craig Federighi, senior vice president and head of software engineering at Apple, said, “Most of the chatbots on the market today rely on engagement and flattery. They want to draw you in. They might encourage you to reveal information about yourself and then build a relationship with you based on that.”
“We look at it from a completely different perspective,” says Craig of Apple.
Such a bold rejection of the AI industry’s universal strategy, however, did not answer any general questions about the overall state of AI. This comes in response to a question from interviewer Laurie Segal, who asked, “Is it possible to use Siri AI as a love partner or romantic partner?”
Federighi says, “We’re looking at it completely differently. The way we’ve built Siri is to actually say, ‘Listen, I’m not here to do this. I’m here to help you. I can help you learn about the world.’ But if you try to get Siri as your love partner, Siri doesn’t agree at all.”
As a result, the chapter of romance with Siri ends here.
But the discussion did not stop here. Apple’s approach to this intimacy of the virtual world is based on the true character and philosophy of the technology.
In Segal’s words, the issue boils down to the usefulness of things that are not ‘sexy’ or attractive and the dangers of things that are attractive.
“I don’t think this interesting part should be inside your computer. You should have it in real life,” Federighi cautioned.
Technology, especially AI, is threatening to take over large parts of people’s existence and disrupt important aspects of their lives. AI may always be short on user retention. AI is not alone in this race. Smartphones are also ahead in grabbing people’s attention.
Algorithms on social media are constantly developing better and more complex ways to convert human angst and misinformation into ‘engagement’, which ultimately brings them profits. Many parents and some lawmakers called the developments worrisome, particularly because of their impact on children.
But these tech giants in the tech sector have so much money and lobbyists that they can easily block any attempt at fundamental change.
In this case, Apple has set itself apart from everyone. Even if you don’t believe their gimmicks, the company claims that they don’t want to keep the user stuck on the screen. In fact, they may be the first tech company to actively discourage customers from using their technology.
Let’s go back to 2018. Apple unveiled their ‘iOS 12’ at a completely different WWDC event. It included a new feature called ‘Screen Time’, which tracked the duration of various app usage and allowed users to set time limits on app usage and purchases.
At the time, Apple chief Tim Cook candidly admitted, “I’ve been using the feature myself, and to be honest, I thought I had pretty good self-control about it. But I was wrong. I was spending a lot more time on the phone screen than I thought.”
The feature was originally intended to encourage Apple customers to spend less time looking at their iPhones.
However, the purpose of the iPhone’s ‘focus modes’ is also completely opposed to this strategy of locking the user. They are designed to filter notifications and reduce distractions. The company wants users to focus on aspects of their lives that are not screen-related.
Like exercise, sleep or one’s personal life. If these modes work properly, they reduce the time spent behind the device or ensure that you are using the phone for specific tasks in a more conscious and limited way. From a tech billionaire’s point of view, this amounts to breaking all the rules of business.
But Apple may pass the risk. Because their business model isn’t dependent on showing users ads or grabbing their data. They know the key to long-term success is building features that help customers live healthier and happier lives, rather than trapping them in digital hell. The role of technology is to enrich people’s lives, not to rule them.
At the end of the interview, Apple’s senior vice president of ‘Worldwide Marketing’, Greg Joswiak, said, “That’s what we like, isn’t it, for technology to go into the background? Then you can just focus on your work or the content you need.”
Technology is not the key here. The key is what the technology is and how it can ensure the best service to the user. Technology can be the best way to make users’ lives better, which in itself should not become the goal or destination of people’s lives. Technology is just a medium or a tool, whose sole purpose is to make people’s real life easier and more beautiful.
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