CNN
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Apple’s Vision Pro mixed reality headset was announced a year ago this week, and it’s arguably already due for a major upgrade. artificial intelligence.
Apple is expected to announce its first batch of generative AI tools for iPhone and iPad next week, part of an increased effort to breathe new life into its struggling product lines. Even though the Vision Pro mixed reality headset has only been on the market for a few months, Some experts believe that the same technology could soon find its way to the device.
Generative AI, the dynamic form of artificial intelligence capable of providing thoughtful, in-depth responses to questions and prompts, could potentially propel the headset to another level of personalization and immersion, and pave the way for new use cases for businesses, especially in education and medicine. . It could also boost sales of the expensive Vision Pro, whose production was reportedly cut unexpectedly.
At its annual Worldwide Developers Conference at its headquarters in Cupertino, California, which begins Monday, June 10, CEO Tim Cook will likely outline the company’s vision for this type of AI. It is also expected to partner with ChatGPT maker OpenAI to unlock new layers of interaction across its product lines. All this comes at a time when the company is under pressure to catch up with rivals such as Google and Samsung, who already use the technology in their smartphones.
The most obvious way to integrate generative AI into Vision Pro would be to use a virtual assistant similar to a much smarter Siri, allowing users to ask questions about what they’re looking at or automate tasks like such as sending text messages by voice or turning on the lights. .
Other use cases include real-time language translation, deeper collaboration in a workspace environment or personalized fitness plans and guided meditations, according to experts.
But the experience could be even richer for businesses. During his latest earnings conference call, CEO Tim Cook said that more than half of Fortune 100 companies have already purchased an Apple Vision Pro. “…(We’re) exploring innovative ways to use it to do things that weren’t possible before,” before moving on to other topics,” he added.
Tuong Nygugen, managing analyst at market research firm Gartner, said any company interested in this market “needs to think about it.”
“No one really knows yet what’s the winner, so they’re bringing all these use cases together right now, with a focus on the business, and why this is the future of experiences and devices.” , did he declare.
But while it’s unclear when generative AI will come to the Vision Pro, Nygugen said, “It’s just a matter of time.” »
That’s because the Vision Pro is just another interface – much like a tablet, laptop or watch, that touches Apple’s ecosystem.
“The benefit isn’t there if Apple uses it – because I would expect everyone to use it – or even if they use it first,” Nygugen said. “It’s about how they use it and how they provide value to the user.”
Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images
An Apple Vision Pro headset is shown during the product launch at the Apple Store in New York on February 2, 2024. The Vision Pro, the tech giant’s $3,499 headset, is its first major release since the Apple Watch nine years ago.
Apple’s first new product in seven years entered the market in February just as the market for extended reality (XR) – a category that includes augmented, virtual and mixed reality – was plateauing with little adoption by the general public. The $3,499 headset had limited apps and is connected to an iPhone-sized battery, providing about 2.5 hours of battery life on a single charge.
But consumers and businesses largely agree that the user experience is unmatched when it comes to watching immersive videos and interacting with the world around you.
Apple has not yet released specific sales data on the device, but Apple analyst Ming Chi-Kuo said production is being reduced to 400,000 units per year, compared to an early industry forecast of 700,000. However, adding generative AI to the experience could help developers of all levels create more engaging content to attract a wider audience, according to Jeremy Bailenson, founding director of the Virtual Human Interaction Lab at the University of Stanford.
“Although most headsets today are cheaper than smartphones and laptops, their use is very limited by consumers, in part due to the lack of compelling content specifically designed for headsets like the Vision Pro or the Meta Quest,” he said. “AI will help by allowing people without any programming experience to generate 3D models, immersive scenes and even avatar bodies and animations.”
In the Stanford laboratory, researchers are already using new software that allows a user to describe any scene by speaking out loud, for example “create for me a beautiful park in the middle of a big city with cows who wander there. VR results appear in seconds.
He sees strong use cases for this, particularly in education and gaming.
“AI allows teachers to quickly create VR content that fits into their curricula and lesson plans, solving the biggest barrier to VR in classrooms,” he said. “VR now makes it easier for teachers to create lessons, whereas before generative AI, creating content was so expensive and difficult that it often made their jobs more difficult. »
Generative AI could also change headset gaming. Social VR — a concept where users come together to talk, collaborate and play — tends to be solitary, Bailenson said. Although there are thousands of virtual scenes on a traditional platform, there are far fewer users.
“Generative AI can add non-player characters to make places less empty,” he said.
Ramon Llamas, director of market research firm IDC, believes that Apple will start with the commercialization of the AI generation with Vision Pro, but that the biggest impact will ultimately be on businesses.
For example, he said a field service agent can troubleshoot machines in real time using the headset and generative AI. In theory, it could review and summarize the collected data and provide an interactive diagram, hologram or video telling the user how to diagnose and fix the problem, he said.
“This is the greatest game and the magic of generative AI,” he said. “The worker would no longer watch a generic video; the technology would go through piles of files, data, videos and images to put something very specific to fix the problem.
Another use case, he added, could be for worker training, such as showing someone how to repair an airplane engine based on model and other specifications.
“I think we’ll start to see this more over the next couple of product cycles,” he said. “The race is on to see how quickly we can integrate generative AI into these devices.”
Meta, for example, has already expressed interest in collaborating with Microsoft, which has largely integrated its Copilot technology – powered by ChatGPT – into its own suite of products. Llamas said a likely partnership would allow Meta’s Quest line of headsets to use Copilot as an assistant or for training purposes. Google could follow in the same footsteps.
Tuong Nygugen, managing analyst at market research firm Gartner, said “anyone investing in this market needs to think about it.”
“No one really knows yet what’s the winner, so they’re bringing all these use cases together right now, with a focus on the business, and why this is the future of experiences and devices.” , did he declare.
For now, however, the focus will likely be on familiarizing users with generative AI on devices users already use, especially those they hold in their hands.
“Vision Pro just came out a few months ago and it needs to get going before it really starts to take off,” Llamas said. “With iOS, we already have a user and product base, so that’s probably where Apple will accelerate now.”