Apple has unveiled a complex approach to enhancing its AI models without compromising user privacy. According to its latest blog post, the tech titan plans to use synthetic datasets compared with user data samples on-device, only from users who opt into its Device Analytics program.
Under this method, devices will identify the closest synthetic data to real user inputs and send Apple a signal indicating the closest match, keeping actual user data on the device and private. Interestingly, this system allows Apple to improve AI text features like email summaries without directly accessing user information.
This initiative is part of Apple’s broader commitment to differential privacy, a technique that adds randomized data to datasets to prevent the identification of individual users. Notably, since the introduction of iOS 10 in 2016, the company has employed differential privacy to enhance features like the Genmoji and now extends this practice to its latest AI developments.
“The core privacy protections we apply when creating synthetic data to improve text generation are very similar to the protections used for Genmoji. Only users who have opted-in to send Device Analytics information to Apple participate. The contents of the sampled emails never leave the device and are never shared with Apple,” the company said in its statement.
Presently, Apple trains its AI models on synthetic data only, potentially resulting in less helpful responses. However, facing challenges with the rollout of its Apple Intelligence features and leadership changes in its Siri team, Apple is now integrating this privacy-first AI training approach in the beta versions of iOS and iPadOS 18.5 and macOS 15.5.
Apple’s entry into generative AI (particularly Apple Intelligence) was announced in June 2024, considered late by some as competitors like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI had established their footholds earlier. However, this journey has also faced notable challenges.
In fact, last month, Apple faced the latest legal trouble over the delayed rollout of its Apple Intelligence features. A lawsuit filed in the US District Court in San Jose accused Apple of false advertising and unfair competition, alleging that the company misled consumers by promoting AI-powered Siri features that were not yet available.
The plaintiffs argue that Apple’s marketing created unrealistic expectations, leading consumers to purchase new devices under false promises. The lawsuit seeks class-action status and compensation for affected customers.
Additionally, Apple is contending with a restricted privacy lawsuit concerning its data collection practices. In September 2024, US District Judge Edward Davila allowed certain claims to proceed, focusing on allegations that Apple continued to collect user data through its proprietary apps, such as the App Store and Apple Music, despite users disabling specific privacy settings. The plaintiffs claim that Apple violated user agreements and privacy laws by collecting data without proper consent.
