Apple has embarked on an internal pilot program to enhance its customer service capabilities. This initiative involves equipping select AppleCare support advisors with a cutting-edge tool called “Ask”, which utilizes generative AI similar to ChatGPT to automatically generate answers to customer inquiries.
The objective of “Ask” is to streamline the process of offering technical assistance, whether through online chats or phone conversations, by drawing upon Apple’s extensive internal knowledge base to produce relevant information in response to queries.
Advisors have the option to evaluate the usefulness of the responses by marking them as “helpful” or “unhelpful”, and can probe further with up to five follow-up questions on the same topic.
The deployment of “Ask” is part of Apple’s broader strategy to incorporate generative AI technology across its services and products.
According to reports, this move is expected to significantly impact how the company provides customer support, making it more efficient in addressing complex or unfamiliar technical issues. Apple encourages advisors participating in the pilot to prioritize “Ask” over traditional search methods or consulting with senior advisors, ensuring that the solutions provided are both accurate and traceable.
This development coincides with broader industry trends where generative AI technologies, like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, have gained prominence for their ability to mimic human-like responses to text and voice prompts.
Apple’s foray into generative AI with “Ask” is just the beginning, as the company plans to expand the tool’s availability to more advisors after refining it based on initial feedback.
Further emphasizing Apple’s commitment to AI, CEO Tim Cook announced on an earnings call that the company is actively exploring generative AI technologies, with plans to unveil more details later in the year.
This aligns with predictions from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman about iOS 18 incorporating numerous generative AI features across various applications, including Siri and Messages, aimed at enhancing user experience. The official announcement and rollout of these features are eagerly anticipated at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) event and subsequent iOS update in September.
As generative AI continues to evolve, Apple’s investment in “Ask” ensures that responses are not only swift, but also grounded in factual and reliable information from Apple’s internal resources.
