Apple's privacy policy indicates that an AI shopping assistant will be introduced to the Apple Store app.
TL;DR: Apple's revised privacy policy for the Store app indicates the upcoming introduction of a "Virtual Shopping Assistant," which will gather chat, device, and location data. It is not yet operational, and users can only partially opt out.
Apple is set to launch an AI-driven shopping assistant within the Apple Store app, according to an update in the privacy policy uncovered by MacRumors. This revised document outlines a "Virtual Shopping Assistant" that will gather account information, device identifiers, carrier details, chat data, and optionally, location data to tailor responses for users. The feature is currently not active.
Apple states that it strips personal identifiers from chats before sharing data with partners, ensuring that the information is solely used to enhance conversational responses. While users cannot completely opt out of the assistant, they can disable a "Chat Improvements" option that governs whether their conversations are utilized to refine the system. This setting can be found under Account > Settings in the Apple Store app.
This shopping assistant will mark Apple's second deployment of an AI chatbot, following a similar feature in the Apple Support app, which is also not yet available to all users. Although Apple developed a third-party AI system for Siri, it was not showcased at WWDC, and the company has been slower than competitors like Google, Amazon, and Meta in integrating conversational AI into consumer products. Adding a shopping assistant in the Store app presents a low-risk entry: the discussions will revolve around products Apple already offers, the data is first-party, and the consequences of an inaccurate reply are trivial compared to more critical misdiagnoses.
The privacy terms are noteworthy. The phrase "Where enabled, location data" and sharing with unspecified "partners" after removing identifiers is typical for Apple, but it is more lenient than users might anticipate from a company that promotes a strong privacy stance. A German court found Google liable for its AI-generated responses, and any AI shopping assistant that gives incorrect product recommendations or misstates specifications could face similar oversight. Apple has not yet specified a launch date.
Other articles
Jeff Bezos has been solicited to acquire a share in Liverpool FC. Amazon already possesses the broadcasting rights for Premier League matches.
A consortium headed by Amit Bhatia has proposed £1.35 billion for a 30% share in Liverpool FC from Fenway Sports Group. Bezos has been contacted to participate. Discussions are in the preliminary stages.
Cambridge's planet-scale AI model operates on AMD rather than Nvidia.
Cambridge's TESSERA transforms satellite data into reusable AI embeddings for every 10 meters of the Earth's surface, reducing the need for labeled data by 30 times. It operates on AMD hardware instead of Nvidia.
Four ex-DOGE employees secured $160 million at a valuation of $1.4 billion for an AI-focused military cybersecurity startup.
Cathedral, established by four former DOGE employees, secured $160 million in funding from a16z and Sequoia at a valuation of $1.4 billion. The company develops AI-based offensive and defensive cybersecurity tools for the U.S. military.
Etched secures $300M with a valuation of $10.3B, with SK Hynix participating.
Nvidia competitor Etched has secured $300 million at a valuation of $10.3 billion, which signifies a doubling of its value in just seven months, and has attracted memory giant SK Hynix as an investor.
Drone manufacturers compete to develop navigation systems that can withstand jamming in war zones.
Q-CTRL relies on quantum measurements, ASIO utilizes camera vision, and ANELLO has created a laser gyro the size of a matchbook. All these technologies are designed to ensure drones remain on course when GPS signals are blocked.
Your preferred Android applications may soon perform more effectively on foldable devices.
Google has launched new tools for Android developers, providing adaptive layout guidance and Wear OS 7 widgets to enhance app compatibility with foldable devices and wearables.
Apple's privacy policy indicates that an AI shopping assistant will be introduced to the Apple Store app.
An update to the privacy policy for the Apple Store app outlines a "Virtual Shopping Assistant" that gathers chat, location, and device information. It is not currently operational.