David Sparks of macsparky.com recently posted, about if all cars were trackable. The gist is that if your vehicle is stolen, the police would track it.
Maybe I'm cynical, but I would be very surprised if they aren't monitoring that data always. If it's registered to the consumers IPhone, how can law enforcement have access to it? Isn't secure end to end part of Apple's selling point?
The original story is from AppleInsider found here.
Apple has lagged significantly in the "AI" product race since OpenAI's ChatGPT took the world by storm a few years ago. Their rushed and poorly executed launch of "Apple Intelligence," awkwardly shoehorned into their existing product ecosystem, has been botched at best.
A telling sign of this misstep? Apple Intelligence is conspicuously absent from the website banner promoting their flagship offerings. In stark contrast, the Vision Pro platform is front and center, reflecting Apple’s heavy bet on augmented reality.
This framing problem isn’t just a marketing misfire—it highlights a deeper strategic issue. Apple continues to present Apple Intelligence as a feature rather than a standalone product. Until they reposition it as its own ecosystem, it’s likely doomed to fail.
Historically, it’s been difficult to get the public to fully embrace digital products unless they’re tied to physical objects. For years, video games, and even movies, have relied on physical copies in stores despite the growing dominance of digital downloads. Apple’s strength as the world’s largest hardware company makes it uniquely vulnerable here—its audience isn’t used to valuing intangible services on their own.
To succeed, Apple must lead a shift in public perception, helping the "average Joe" see value in Apple Intelligence as a core product. Until then, Apple’s AI efforts are likely to remain in the shadow of competitors like OpenAI, who understand that AI is most powerful when it’s a product, not an accessory.
Apple posted a standard press release about their "Our longstanding privacy commitment with Siri." I presume to alleviate some of the critisizm and concern over Apple Intelligence.
I was curious what ChatGPT thought, So i fed it the text from the post, and asked "Are there any contradictions or anything concerning with this press release or is it pretty standard?"
The response I got can be seen below:
It’s a fairly standard press release for a privacy-centric tech company, and Apple’s messaging aligns with its longstanding focus on privacy. However, there are some areas that might raise questions or warrant closer scrutiny:
- Potential Concerns or Contradictions: "On-Device Processing Where Possible"
- Potential Issue: The phrase “where possible” introduces ambiguity. It acknowledges that some data is processed on servers, but it doesn’t detail exactly when and why this is necessary. Critics might view this as a loophole for broader data usage. Clarification Needed: What percentage of Siri’s processing happens on-device versus the cloud? Which specific features or requests require server-side processing? "Private Cloud Compute Extends Privacy"
- Potential Issue: While Private Cloud Compute is marketed as privacy-preserving, the details of how it functions are vague. The statement that "data is not stored or made accessible to Apple" is reassuring but could be questioned without a technical explanation. Clarification Needed: Does Apple rely on third-party cloud providers, or is this infrastructure fully internal? How is user data anonymized during these processes? "Minimizes the Amount of Data Collected"
- Potential Issue: The release says Siri uses "as little data as possible," but what constitutes the minimum necessary data is not specified. Skeptics could interpret this as subjective or unclear. Clarification Needed: What data is collected for specific interactions? Are there independent audits or transparency reports to verify these claims? "Audio Recordings Only Retained if Users Opt In"
- Potential Issue: While this is a positive feature, it raises the question of how securely opt-in recordings are stored, who has access, and whether the process is truly transparent to users. Global Variability in Features
- Potential Issue: The note about features being available only on certain devices and in specific languages might unintentionally limit the privacy benefits for users outside supported regions or with older devices. Summary: Overall, the release is standard and reinforces Apple’s reputation for prioritizing privacy. Transparency could be improved by providing more specific details about: When and why server-side processing is necessary. How Private Cloud Compute anonymizes and handles user data. Any third-party dependencies in processing or storage. These gaps might not constitute outright contradictions but could lead to skepticism, especially among privacy advocates or competitors looking for weak points.
Moral of the story: ChatGPT can write a blog post?! I guess.... idk now you know that. Not much reason for doing this. It was one of those "I wonder if this works." Thoughts.