Marco Arment

But, you know, I do think we will look back on this time and say Apple was really behind on LLMs. And, you know, they spent their time making a car and a Vision Pro. And while everyone else was doing this and, you know, they are behind here. And I really hope they catch up and it's not a bigger deal. But we'll see how that goes.

But, you know, I do think we will look back on this time and say Apple was really behind on LLMs. And, you know, they spent their time making a car and a Vision Pro. And while everyone else was doing this and, you know, they are behind here. And I really hope they catch up and it's not a bigger deal. But we'll see how that goes.

I don't know. I think the dynamics are a little worse than that for Apple. I mean they do have advantages in the sense that obviously they have infinite money. And so if they do end up needing to buy somebody at the end of the day, they can. I don't think that's their style in this kind of scale, but they could if they really had to.

I don't know. I think the dynamics are a little worse than that for Apple. I mean they do have advantages in the sense that obviously they have infinite money. And so if they do end up needing to buy somebody at the end of the day, they can. I don't think that's their style in this kind of scale, but they could if they really had to.

But I think the bigger challenge is like Apple's whole thing about owning and controlling core technologies for their products. There's obviously a huge role now and in the future for LLMs and AI-type models being core technologies of their products.

But I think the bigger challenge is like Apple's whole thing about owning and controlling core technologies for their products. There's obviously a huge role now and in the future for LLMs and AI-type models being core technologies of their products.

Yes, of course. I mean, look at how many features are going to be based on it.

Yes, of course. I mean, look at how many features are going to be based on it.

I think it's rapidly becoming an assumed feature on computing platforms in various contexts. I mean, look. LLMs have only really been a thing in the consumer world for like two years. They're still brand new and they're already like people are expecting chat GPT like functionality all over the place. Hell, look at Siri.

I think it's rapidly becoming an assumed feature on computing platforms in various contexts. I mean, look. LLMs have only really been a thing in the consumer world for like two years. They're still brand new and they're already like people are expecting chat GPT like functionality all over the place. Hell, look at Siri.

I mean, but even even just going to things like improving the quality of dictation or, you know, text to speech and speech to text and, you know, image recognition of things.

I mean, but even even just going to things like improving the quality of dictation or, you know, text to speech and speech to text and, you know, image recognition of things.

Well, it can in other platforms. It does, I think.

Well, it can in other platforms. It does, I think.

Well, right. And so the other things that Apple has historically been kind of bad at that are kind of big data or big infrastructure problems, things like search indexes. Apple is not a great search company in many ways. They kind of have their own search stuff going on in a few places. They're not great at search. They're not great at running consumer-facing web services.

Well, right. And so the other things that Apple has historically been kind of bad at that are kind of big data or big infrastructure problems, things like search indexes. Apple is not a great search company in many ways. They kind of have their own search stuff going on in a few places. They're not great at search. They're not great at running consumer-facing web services.

That's just not one of the things they are really good at. They're able to avoid those things being a problem for them in many ways. Maybe a bigger example is voice assistants. Apple is not good at making voice assistants. But they've been able to get by in part because of the massive lock-in they have that you can't make a competing voice assistant on iOS. You just can't.

That's just not one of the things they are really good at. They're able to avoid those things being a problem for them in many ways. Maybe a bigger example is voice assistants. Apple is not good at making voice assistants. But they've been able to get by in part because of the massive lock-in they have that you can't make a competing voice assistant on iOS. You just can't.

And also in part because it turned out voice assistants were not that important. They were not that big of a threat. If yours sucks as much as Siri has sucked for its entire life, it doesn't make people not buy your product. Well... LLM and LLM-based features are, I think, going to be somewhere on that spectrum. We don't know where yet.

And also in part because it turned out voice assistants were not that important. They were not that big of a threat. If yours sucks as much as Siri has sucked for its entire life, it doesn't make people not buy your product. Well... LLM and LLM-based features are, I think, going to be somewhere on that spectrum. We don't know where yet.