Apple has struggled to find its footing in the world of generative AI so far, but the company isn’t giving up on becoming a true competitor in the industry anytime soon. To that point, signs of an AI-powered “Support Assistant” for the Apple Support app were uncovered in Apple’s code this week by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris.
Based on his findings, iPhone users will be able to chat with the Support Assistant in the Apple Support app, which is free to download from the App Store. Perris also noted that the app does already include a chat feature. You can contact a live Apple support agent within the app, which starts a conversation through the Messages app.
Presumably, the AI-powered Support Assistant will be different. The expectation is that you’ll be able to chat directly with the chatbot from the app and receive support while the assistant draws on its generative AI training. You still have the option to reach out to a live agent, but you can try to get the information you need from the AI first.
According to the code seen by Perris, the Support Assistant “uses generative models” to provide answers “related to certain Apple products and services.” As with other AI chatbots, Apple warns that the Support Assistant can provide “incorrect, misleading, incomplete, offensive, or harmful outputs,” so it’s probably best not to follow its directions blindly.
Perris found a reference to uploading content in the code, which could imply that users will be able to upload files or images while seeking help from the AI. Apple also states that it is working with partners to provide Support Assistant, so there’s a chance that the new feature is powered by ChatGPT, similar to other recent additions like Writings Tools.
We don’t know when (or if) the feature will see the light of day, but it’s one of many new projects in the works for Apple’s operating systems that has yet to be officially announced. For instance, we just learned about two new Apple Maps features yesterday.
