With many other top tech companies going all-in on AI technology, the industry is still preparing for Apple’s somewhat delayed entry into the AI market.
Apple is expected to unveil a comprehensive AI strategy as part of its upcoming iOS and macOS updates at WWDC 2024, and it’s likely the company will turn to cloud processing to handle the data.
After traditionally emphasizing on-device processing to protect user privacy, a report from The information has detailed how the company might use ‘black box processing’ to maintain security while using online services.
Apple’s AI could rely on a ‘black box’ in the cloud
Typically, cloud services encrypt data when it is stored, but in order to process data, it must be decrypted. iCloud already uses a mix of in-transit, on-server and end-to-end encryption for all its services, depending on the level of protection users choose.
Apple’s solution for upcoming AI services, says The informationwill scale its Secure Enclave technology, which isolates sensitive data, to enable private processing in the cloud.
The approach appears to be linked to the Apple Chips in Data Centers project – a project in which Apple is developing its own chips to run AI services in data centers.
The confidential computing initiative, which has reportedly been in development for more than three years, aligns with Apple’s vision to create lightweight devices that rely on cloud processing, reducing the load on the device. This could reduce hardware requirements for future products, improve their portability, and (dare we say it) even reduce costs.
Recent reports indicate that the company has rolled out M2 Ultra chips across its cloud infrastructure, with plans to upgrade to M4 chips.
In recent years, Apple has been criticized for somewhat disappointing summer events, with software updates lacking some of the features available on other platforms. The recent AI boom has contributed to that sentiment, but with WWDC 2024 the iPhone maker could quickly claw that back and level the playing field again.