Apple Joins Voluntary U.S. Government Commitment to AI Safety

Apple is the latest addition to the list of public U.S. companies that made voluntary commitments to AI regulations, the White House announced on July 26.

The commitments, first announced in September 2023, include vows to publicly disclose AI capabilities, to watermark AI content and more. These commitments set a public standard for the country’s largest AI makers in an effort to reduce deception and other novel, unsafe practices that could stem from realistic-looking AI content or advanced capabilities.

The addition of Apple is “further cementing these commitments as cornerstones of responsible AI innovation,” the White House stated in a press release.

Government hits deadline for AI safety commitments among agencies

On July 26, the White House announced both that Apple had signed on to the commitment and that federal agencies have completed all “270-day actions in the Executive Order on schedule.”  The actions range from technical guidelines to piloting the use of AI in government to bringing more professionals with AI skills into government work.

The actions are, in brief:

• Managing risks to safety and security.
• Bringing AI talent into government.
• Advancing responsible AI innovation.
• Advancing U.S. leadership in AI abroad.

“Agencies all across government have acted boldly,” the White House report stated. “They have taken steps to mitigate AI’s safety and security risks, protect Americans’ privacy, advance equity and civil rights, stand up for consumers and workers, promote innovation and competition, advance American leadership around the world, and more.”

For businesses, the new AI actions could provide a framework for what safety and security risks they should consider around generative AI, whether making or using it.

SEE: The U.S. joined an international commitment to fostering AI competition and preventing ‘entrenching’ of major companies last week.

Apple delays AI release

Bloomberg reported that Apple will not introduce its upcoming AI features with the software updates in September. Instead, the release of Apple Intelligence, the tech company’s new AI platform, will be delayed by at least a few weeks, though developers will have earlier access.

Developers can try a beta release of iOS 18.1, the version that introduces the Apple Intelligence AI, this week, according to Bloomberg. Apple has been relatively cautious with its AI rollouts, choosing to reveal Apple Intelligence well after Google and Microsoft’s experiments with generative AI features. Apple Intelligence will include both ChatGPT integration and proprietary Apple AI to boost Siri’s capabilities.

General consumers will need to wait a few weeks after the launch of iOS 18 for the iOS 18.1 version to bring AI features.