Apple should feel threatened by Windows Copilot.

In the introduction of potential generative artificial intelligence features in Apple's Series 9 watch and iPhone 15, Microsoft is attempting to define the next era of personal computing that utilizes generative AI in the form of a personal assistant called Copilot. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella stated, "Now you can think of your computer as a copilot. We believe Copilot will fundamentally change the way we interact with technology and usher in a new era of personal computing."

Copilot will appear directly on the taskbar and provide convenient Win+C shortcuts to assist you at any time. Copilot seamlessly integrates with all applications and effortlessly aids in your work. Copilot will be released as part of the free Windows 11 update starting on September 26. Interestingly, on the same day, Apple will release its latest macOS update, macOS Sonoma.

We are at a crucial moment in the transformation of generative AI technology. Surprisingly, Apple did not mention artificial intelligence once during its recent event.

macOS Needs an Upgrade

Apple's macOS Sonoma currently does not possess the capability of generative AI, but it has made improvements on previous macOS versions. macOS Sonoma includes several new video conferencing features, such as Presenter Overlay. However, it is far behind Windows 11, which now has a personal assistant with generative AI capabilities. While Apple currently offers Siri on Mac, the Santa Clara-based company should seriously consider releasing an upgraded version of Siri with generative AI capabilities.

Furthermore, history has shown the importance of being the first to act in the field of generative AI. We have seen this with cases from Google and OpenAI. Currently, OpenAI is leading the generative AI competition with its GPT-based models, while Google is still playing catch-up. Meanwhile, Microsoft is leveraging its partnership with OpenAI to the fullest.

AI consultant Vin Vahistha states, "What Microsoft is doing today is raising customer expectations to a level that hardly any competitor can reach."

Many businesses rely on Microsoft 365 for their daily work. If they find that Copilot significantly enhances productivity, it could pose a significant challenge to the macOS system. Meanwhile, even other Apple products need major upgrades, including the Safari web browser. In contrast, Microsoft has been actively improving its products, especially Bing. Initially, it integrated ChatGPT into Bing, and now it has taken another step by integrating DALL-E 3.

Edge Computing

It is currently unclear whether the updated version of Windows 11 will require an internet connection to function, but Microsoft has stated that it will soon host LLM locally on PCs. The company has been in negotiations with Intel, Qualcomm, AMD, and NVIDIA to develop support for silicon-level AI, allowing for edge computing on Windows devices.

Microsoft's new Surface Laptop Studio 2 is equipped with the latest 13th generation Intel Core processors, which are part of the Intel Evo platform. It offers various NVIDIA GPU options, including RTX 4050, RTX 4060, and RTX 200, providing users with a wide range of powerful graphics options.

Additionally, Apple is not lacking in infrastructure to run generative AI features on its devices. Its M2 chip has a dedicated neural engine with 16 cores designed specifically for AI and machine learning tasks. The M2 also has a powerful GPU that can accelerate generative AI tasks such as image generation and text translation. Furthermore, Apple introduced the A17 chip in the iPhone 15 Pro, which is also capable of running AI features.

Furthermore, according to recent reports, Apple is expanding its budget for creating conversational AI by millions of dollars per day to develop new features for Siri, allowing customers to complete simple tasks with voice commands.

Apple needs to take action before it's too late.