By Vaughn Bui
Microsoft and Google have been locked in a fierce competition to build the best artificial intelligence (AI) assistant. Now, Apple looks to release its own AI announcing its entry into the arms race: a war aimed at helping the everyday person.
An AI assistant is a software program that uses generative text software to assist people with tasks like answering questions and carrying out commands.
Following the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in late 2022, AI has been a topic of interest for the general public as well as big companies. The announcement of Apple’s entry into the market directly challenges progress made by Microsoft and Google, a battle the two have been fighting since 2023.
Microsoft’s Copilot, Google’s Gemini and Apple’s Apple Intelligence all promise to revolutionize daily life and tasks. Each company’s target demographic is overwhelmingly focused on anybody who has access to a smartphone and/or computer.
Believing in the promises of AI, Eduard Lavrov, Computer Science teacher and Esports coach at Fountain Valley High School comments on its potential.
“It has potential, very good uses and very specific purposes that could help and save a lot of time,” Lavrov said.
Lavrov also comments on the potential risk as AI power is given to the hands of the public.
“There is a responsibility on how to use it that some people don’t necessarily have … [AI] being that much more powerful, can [bring] that much more potential for harm,” Lavrov said.
Generative AI assistants may generate inaccurate information, a problem that Google encountered with its AI. Yet, technology companies see value in the growing AI market, igniting a race to build the better AI assistant.
Fighting an AI assistant war is not new for these companies. During the 2010s, Apple led the group in a digital assistant war with Siri, marketed as a voice-controlled assistant for Apple devices. Google Now followed, and Microsoft’s Cortana trailed long after. Presently, Google Assistant succeeded Google Now, but ultimately Google Assistant has been shut down to focus on Gemini. Similarly, Microsoft’s Cortana has been shut down to focus on an AI assistant.
Upgraded with OpenAI’s ChatGPT capabilities, Bing was Microsoft’s first entry into the AI Assistant which was rebranded into Copilot. Marketed as a productivity booster, Copilot can be utilized within any Microsoft 365 application. Microsoft also integrates Copilot within Bing search, generating text answers for anything searched. Microsoft plans to incorporate Copilot within the Windows operating system, with Copilot having its own dedicated key meant for easier access to its capabilities.
Google’s Gemini is a rebrand of an original attempt much like Bing. Bard, Google’s first AI language model was rebranded into Gemini after a live demo failure resulted in Bard generating inaccurate information, costing Google billions. Gemini refers to a variety of Google-built AI language models. Gemini 1.5 Flash is specifically built into a handful of Android phones, replacing the Google Assistant as its successor. Similar to Microsoft, Gemini is also incorporated within the Google search engine, displaying AI-generated answers to anything searched, on top of being integrated into Google Workspace programs.
Announced earlier this month, Apple Intelligence is built from Apple’s own AI language model. Intricate integration within the iOS ecosystem differs the Apple AI from the more business-orientated Copilot.
Marketed to assist in work applications, Apple Intelligence shares similar features to Gemini. Siri, upgraded with Apple Intelligence and ChatGPT, will provide a more useful voice assistant to rival Gemini. Apple and Google strive to make the use of their assistants convenient; a double tap near the bottom of an iPhone launches AI-powered Siri while holding down the power button on an Android device launches Gemini.
With Microsoft’s Copilot “Wave 2” newly announced, Microsoft hopes to extend its early lead. Google plans to continue work refining its current Gemini 1.5 models. Apple Intelligence plans to release beta testing alongside the launch iOS 18 later this fall.
