In recent months, we’ve seen a significant boom in artificial intelligence. Whatever your questions, or if you need help with something, you can contact ChatGPT, and it will be happy to provide you with the answers you need in virtually any field.

It’s no wonder, then, that tech giants have been quick to respond to this trend. Microsoft, for example, has developed an intelligent Bing AI search engine that takes advantage of ChatGPT’s capabilities, and Google is working on its solution.

As a result, speculation has also begun to swirl about when Apple will come up with a similar move forward. Ironically, the latter has remained silent until now and hasn’t presented anything new (yet).

However, it may save the most important news for the upcoming WWDC 2023 developer conference, during which new versions of Apple’s operating systems will be unveiled. And it’s these that could bring much-needed AI news. Moreover, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, one of today’s most accurate and respected leakers, has suggested this.

Find out how noisy your environment is

A study conducted in collaboration between Apple and the University of Michigan uses data from an app to measure the effects of noise exposure on hearing health. In 2021, Apple shared the first findings from this study, which showed that 25% of participants had ever been exposed to noise levels above the recommended limit.

Most of this happens in everyday situations such as traffic jams, working with machinery or riding public transport. The latest figures show that one in three adults in the United States, or around 77 million people, are exposed to excessive noise.

The states with the highest populations also have the highest number of people affected by high noise pollution.

These include California, Texas, Florida and New York. Puerto Rico has the highest percentage of participants exposed to excessive noise levels, often exceeding 70 dBA, at 44%, while Washington has the lowest at just 20%.

And how can we protect our ears from noise? According to Apple and the University of Michigan, people can take various steps to protect their hearing.

The simplest and most affordable ones are wearing protective gear such as earplugs, but buying quiet appliances and taking regular breaks in environments exposed to high noise levels can also play a role.

If you’re an Apple Watch owner, check out the Noise app to better understand your area’s noise levels. You can also turn on an alert that warns you if you’re exposed to it for an extended period, and the levels exceed recommended levels.

Apple plans to push health forward

As we mentioned above, Apple is poised for a significant shift in the use of AI. It is expected to focus on health, which has been increasingly emphasized in recent years, especially in its smartwatch, the Apple Watch.

Therefore, a new service powered by AI capabilities should come next year. This service should be used to improve the user’s lifestyle habits, especially in exercise, physical activity, eating and sleeping habits. To do this, it should use the extensive data from the Apple Watch and, based on it, with the help of the AI above capabilities, provide Apple users with personalized advice and suggestions and a complete exercise plan.

The service will, of course, be chargeable. But there are other changes afoot in the health sector. For example, the Health app should finally arrive on iPads after years of waiting, and there’s talk of several other apps possibly coming as well.

If the leaks and speculations so far are correct, then with the arrival of iOS 17, we can look forward to a personal diary app and possibly an app for tracking moods and their changes.

Are these the changes we want?

The current leaks and speculations have garnered a lot of attention. Health has been increasingly emphasized in recent years, and users are more or less excited about the potential shift. However, there is a second camp of users with a slightly different opinion among Apple heads.

These people are asking a fundamental question – are these the changes we’ve wanted for so long? Plenty of people would like to see a radically different use of AI capabilities, for example, in the style of Microsoft above, which certainly doesn’t stop with the Bing search engine.

ChatGPT is also being implemented in the Office suite as part of Microsoft 365 Copilot. Users will thus have an intelligent partner who can solve practically everything for them. All they have to do is instruct him.

On the other hand, Apple is playing dead in this area, but there is plenty of room for improvement, from the Siri virtual assistant to Spotlight and many other features.

One final point of interest

Analysts at Counterpoint Research recently surveyed the lower thousands of respondents to determine their relationship with the smartwatch. The analysts’ survey makes one abundantly clear – the Apple Watch is incredibly addictive.

More than three-quarters of respondents said they have no plans to switch from the Apple Watch to another model, with more than 70% saying they are delighted with it. Then, 82% of respondents say they wear their Apple Watch daily because it makes everyday tasks easier.

It’s clear then that Apple Watch’s growing user base means steady revenue for Apple in the future, as owners will likely remain loyal to it in the long term.

 

References:

Counterpoint Research Says Apple Has ‘Highest Stickiness for Any Smartwatch Brand’

U-M researchers highlight hazards of noise pollution

Apple Hearing Study Suggests An Estimated 1 in 3 Americans Are Regularly Exposed to Excessive Noise