Between now and June we’re going to see a raft of AI announcements from Microsoft (Build), Google (I/O), and Apple; but to my mind, Apple’s is the one that might have the biggest impact. It won’t necessarily be because Apple’s approach is better than everyone else’s (though it may be), but because when Apple fully enters an arena, it tends to fill the space.
The plans we’re hearing about now indicate a new way of approaching all-on-board AI that could be both more open and more private (if that’s possible). Weirdly, Apple has sort of confirmed the first part by putting some open-source AI work out for others to assess. I’m excited for the prospect, but Apple AI won’t mean much if Siri isn’t far better than Gemini and Copilot, and if it doesn’t arrive on that rumored and potentially exciting ‘Apple soundbar’.
If there’s one thing I can guarantee about the next six months, it’s that we'll see a lot of new products from virtually every major technology player, which means that we retire our old gadgets, and then… well, what? We’ve dedicated our first Sustainability Week to examining this problem from numerous perspectives. In general, we saw exciting progress in projects and products big and small, but we also realized that there’s still so much work to do. I do think, though, that if everyone bought just one bioengineered, toxin-sucking plant, or one refurbished product a year (like the nifty 35-year-old Game Boy I’ve been using), it would make a big difference.
Speaking of AI and stuff that’s open, Meta’s recent decision to open up its Meta OS platform surprised most of us, and it may change the playing field for VR and mixed-reality headsets. It might even be a shot across the bow of what could be a struggling Apple Vision Pro (I’ve not touched mine for a week).
But, hey – it’s Friday, and when I want a break from thinking about sustainability, VR, AI, and open source, I just rewatch the Deadpool and Wolverine trailer to see if I can spot as many Easter eggs as our Senior Entertainment Reporter Tom Power found.
Let's get to it…
Lance Ulanoff, Editor-at-Large
The week in Apple
We might see much more AI on the iPhone this year (Apple)
Apple hasn't said anything officially about iOS 18 yet, but it has launched a new set of AI models designed to run locally on devices rather than in the cloud – which makes us think that the iPhone could be getting a whole lot of new AI tricks later this year.
Google has published the 2024 schedule for its annual Google I/O developer event, and it gives us some clues as to what we can expect to hear about from May 14: get ready for Android 15 news, the reveal of Wear OS 5, and lots of new AI wizardry.
In honor of our precious planet, we've been running a week of articles celebrating and examining sustainability in the tech industry – including this nostalgia-triggering story about how classic Game Boys are being refurbished for a new generation.
Virtual reality will never be the same again: Meta has announced that it's sharing its Horizon OS software with other manufacturers, so it'll turn up on devices other than the Quest headsets, much in the same way that Android and Windows operate.
Wondering what to stream this weekend? The latest on-demand arrivals include Knuckles on Paramount Plus, while new supernatural series Dead Boy Detectives and Oscar-winning movie The Zone of Interest stream on Netflix and Prime Video, respectively.
