In a year when virtually every technology company in existence is talking about AI, Apple has remained silent. But that doesn’t mean Apple-focused developers aren’t taking matters into their own hands. With updates to the popular Mac writing app iA Writer, we’re excited to see what Apple will ultimately do with AI.
With the iA Writer 7 update, you can now use text generated by ChatGPT as a starting point for your own words. The idea is to take the idea from ChatGPT and tweak its output by adding your own flavor to the text, making it your own in the process. Most apps that use generative AI function in a way that essentially hands over control to artificial intelligence, such as email clients that compose messages or collaboration tools that summarize meetings.
However, things are a little different with the popular writing app iA Writer. The result is a nuanced and ethical way of thinking about generative AI, something Apple is likely to end up doing in-house.
“Working with AI responsibly”
Separate human and AI text
Here’s how it works: Text pasted from ChatGPT is grayed out by iA Writer. Text you change or replace turns black to indicate you wrote it. iA Writer’s developers say this turns ChatGPT into a “dialogue partner” rather than a ghostwriter, and risks “taking over and losing your voice.”
However, the app does not automatically recognize pasted text as coming from ChatGPT. You have to right click and select to mark it yourself. Paste As > AI > Enable Author Rights. You also have the option to mark pasted text using keyboard shortcuts or menus.
If you want to quit your writing app and want ChatGPT to edit a paragraph you created in iA Writer, you can notify the app by right-clicking and selecting it. Paste Edits > AI. Additionally, if you want to tell iA Writer that the words you’re inserting were created by you and not by AI, you can select the following options: “Paste As” > “Me”.
The developers of iA Writer say that assigning authors in this way is “new, useful, and a prerequisite for working responsibly with AI text generation.” They continue, “We believe everyone will benefit from a future where we can see what machines process and what humans feel, think, and express with their hearts and minds.” I did.
All of this means that the iA Writer update is not designed to detect AI plagiarism. In fact, the developers say, “It’s up to you to decide how honest you want to be with yourself.” However, when done properly, ChatGPT can turn into a useful assistant that improves your writing without drowning out your own voice.
The future of Apple AI
This update to iA Writer is launching on macOS, iPadOS, and iOS, but will eventually come to Windows and Android.
And of course, iA Writer isn’t the only third-party Mac app, nor will it be the last. But this is just a preview of the kinds of things Apple will need to fully address at some point. It has its own first-party apps, but they’re all starting to look a little outdated compared to its competitors. Google, Adobe, and Microsoft have all fully embraced generative AI and integrated it into nearly all of their software. Windows Copilot is, of course, the best example. Apple’s own solution for more fully incorporating AI into its products will likely be different, but it will certainly need to be. something.
This is expected to be a major focus at WWDC 2024 next June, and we hope to see a broader vision of how Apple approaches AI.
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