Amazon and Google have been battling it out on the artificial intelligence stage lately, and if recent reports are to be believed, Apple could be preparing its own foray into the burgeoning tech.
Firstly, Apple will likely open up Siri to external developers who want to make their apps accessible through the platform, much like Amazon has already done with the Echo (and Google plans to do with Google Home). This has led to a surprise boost in popularity for the Echo, allowing it to act as a smart home hub by linking various devices together.
According to The Information, Apple is preparing to release a development kit, or SDK, for developers interested in taking advantage of the new feature. The Information doesn’t name its source for the report, though the publication states it stems from someone “close to the issue.”
Several third party platforms, such as Yelp for example, have reportedly signed agreements with Apple allowing them to work with Siri’s new open SDK.
Secondly, after the reveal of Google Home last week, which is poised as a direct rival to Amazon’s Echo, Apple is rumoured to be working on its own voice-controlled AI project. Reports indicate that Apple’s hardware will be equipped with a speaker and a microphone (similar to the Amazon Echo or Google Home), allowing users to play music, receive news headlines and set timers.
HomeKit, the company’s smart home device platform that released last year, is likely the logical stepping-off point for Apple’s latest rumoured initiative, but reports indicate Apple’s Echo-competitor will come in the form of an entirely new standalone device.
Related reading: The Creators of Siri are back at it again with a powerful new AI [Update]
[source]The Information[/source]
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