Apple appears to be close to launching a generative AI assistant feature for technical support within its official Support app for the iPhone and iPad.
MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris spotted an updated version of Apple’s legalese terms and conditions page, with a new page titled “Terms of Use for the Support Assistant” on the web outlining the risks associated with using generative AI.
“You understand and agree that generative models may occasionally generate incorrect, misleading, incomplete, offensive or harmful outputs,” reads a passage in the Services section. “To the extent you choose to use Support Assistant, you do so at your own initiative and are responsible for compliance with any applicable laws.”
The Apple Support app is about to launch a ChatGPT-style AI assistant
It adds customers shouldn’t rely on outputs from the chatbot as their only source of information or as a substitute for professional advice. You will need an Apple account to use the AI chatbot. The terms of use page was last updated on July 15, meaning a launch will be imminent. This functionality is likely to launch first for customers in the United States, as the page hasn’t been published in any other countries.
The feature probably uses OpenAI technology, as the page states that the chatbot shares information “with our partners who we work with to provide Support Assistant.” Shared information includes pseudonymized serial numbers and redacted chat transcripts with your name, city and state (if you provided this information in the chat) because “this data is used to create the conversational experience.
Last month, MacRumors spotted code strings in the official Apple Support app for the iPhone and iPad indicating the app will gain a ChatGPT-like support chatbot based on generative AI models. Currently, the Apple Support app doesn’t include AI agents, with AI only used for the live chat feature to gather initial information and answer basic questions before a human agent takes over.
An AI-powered assistant might further cut down on wait times and resolve many customer problems without requiring support from a human agent, including answering technical questions about Apple products, payment methods and more.
“Support Assistant is intended for technical support purposes only, and can provide you with answers related to certain Apple products and services,” reads the terms of use page. “Do not use Support Assistant for emergency situations. You may interact with Support Assistant for lawful and appropriate purposes only.”
The company has tons of product documentation available in every language on its support website, which it likely used to train the support chatbot.