Apple's iPhone 16 AI Gamechanger

TECH IN THE NEWS

AI Reporting Law - The US Commerce Department is proposing to require detailed reporting for advanced AI and cloud computing providers to ensure safety and cyberattack resilience.

This Time Isn’t Different - Morgan Stanley cuts Brent crude price view as the market signals demand softness akin to “mild recession”.

AI in the Military - The US, China and 90 other nations convene in Seoul for a summit on the “responsible use of AI in the military.”

Helium Surge - Demand for the ‘cooling’ gas is projected to double by 2035 tracking semiconductor production, says a report by IDTechEx.

Join the Club - Enterprise/cyberintel IT firm Palantir and data center server provider Dell joined the S&P 500 Index as AI revenue boosts their shares.

DEALS TO WATCH

AI Bookkeeping - Miami startup offering SMB AI financial mgmt services, Finally has raised a $50M Series B from PeakSpan and a $150M credit.

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THE HOTTEST THING IN TECH
Apple's iPhone 16 AI Gamechanger

“It’s Glowtime” — as Apple reveals the new iPhone 16. Yesterday’s release provided more detail on the integration of Apple Intelligence AI features as well as news about an AI smart glasses plan. We can also look forward to other new products like updated AirPods, and a new Apple Watch feature to detect sleep apnea. Let’s take a look at what was announced and the significance of the new AI tools in the context of the wider market.

A Glowing Success

The iPhone 16 introduces the revolutionary "Glow" display technology. It offers unprecedented brightness and energy efficiency to set a new standard for smartphone displays. With enhanced camera capabilities and a sleek design, it also looks set to deliver unparalleled UX. But, Chinese tech giant Huawei looks to continue chipping away at Apple's phone market share, announcing its new phone simultaneously. The first-of-its-kind Tri-fold screen Mate XT received over 3 million pre-orders on its first day.

The Future of AI Integration

Apple Intelligence is at the heart of the new iOS with a new Siri promising to perform much more practical tasks, including those across multiple apps. It plans to deliver this through a sophisticated AI system leveraging retrieval augmented generation (RAG). This innovative approach combines the power of LLMs with real-time information retrieval, offering users more accurate, personalized, and up-to-date assistance. Key features include:

1. On-device processing for enhanced privacy and speed

2. Seamless integration across iOS, macOS, and watchOS

3. Advanced natural language understanding for complex chats

4. Proactive assistance based on user patterns and context

The use of RAG technology sets Apple Intelligence apart by:

• Providing up-to-date information beyond pre-trained knowledge

• Offering highly personalized assistance via on-device data

• Reducing "hallucinations" by fact-checking against retrieved data

• Allowing for expandable knowledge without full model retraining

Apple emphasizes user privacy, ensuring personal data used for retrieval remains on the device. This ecosystem-based approach offers unique advantages in speed and privacy over competitors like Google and Microsoft.

For more complex tasks Apple also introduced Private Cloud Compute, a groundbreaking feature running LLMs off-device using Apple Silicon-powered servers, with two-way encryption for privacy and independent verification. ChatGPT will be available for free to all AI users, with Pro users getting enhanced features, and Gemini is soon to be added in the same way.

A Glimpse of the Future

In a surprise move, Apple also hinted at its development of non-AR smart glasses like Meta's Ray-Ban model. No coincidence that Qualcomm also revealed yesterday a partnership with Samsung and Google to develop mixed reality smart glasses as a companion for Android smartphones. But Apple’s wearables innovation also now includes on-device prediction by the Apple Watch and Airpods for heart health, falls, crashes, and hearing etc. This shift to a wellbeing focus is enabled by proprietary tech and deeply integrated with Apple hardware with its hugely powerful neural engines.

Market Impact and Analysis

This typically pragmatic use of new tech by Apple positions it as a leader in the integration of AI into consumer tech. The on-device and RAG base may be a slower approach, but it’s a significant step towards accessible and useful AI in everyday devices. Apple's ecosystem and privacy-focus, and deepening proprietary tech stack should prompt concern from consumer tech rivals.

Looking Ahead

Concerns remain over how fast the rollout will be, as customers will have to wait for some key AI features. Undue delays to Apple Intelligence could effect the expected “supercycle” of iPhone16 orders, but trust in Apple’s execution could see fans take the leap. This could also be impacted by how fast developers leverage the Apple Intelligence APIs to build a wave of AI-enhanced iOS apps that further advance the usefulness of the AI ecosystem.

FOR INVESTORS
Open Deals

Request an intro to founders - [email protected]

1. 🔥⏱️ Robotics for Agricultural Efficiency - Pittsburgh - Built & deployed robotic hardware for the largest U.S. tree nurseries, reducing costs and increasing efficiency by 50x. Hardware and AI data layer. Beginning to scale globally. Post-revenue, at capacity. (Seed+)
   

2. 🔥⏱️ Quant Trading Software Company - New Jersey - Large-scale automated day-trading algorithm designed for volatile U.S. equity markets. Profitable through extensive backtesting and live simulation. Seeking equity investment for software company.

3. Cricket for the Modern World - India - Physical and virtual ecosystem fostering cricket experiences for enthusiasts and upcoming pros. Data-driven, locally proven, globally scaling. (Seed)

🔥 — hot deal!
⏱️ — leaving soon.

FOR EMPLOYERS
Job Candidates

Request an intro to candidates - [email protected].

1. Struck Capital Venture Associate, ex-West2East (Russell Wilson) Director of Special Projects, ex-Phoenix Holdings Investment Associate. Harvard BA. Vietnamese pro basketball player.

2. Lockheed Martin Software Engineer, ex-Rutgers Junior Full Stack Developer. Secret clearance. Expertise in C++, PHP, SQL. Rutgers BA in Computer Science.

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Nuclear - 1. DoE reactor plutonium breakthrough. | 2. Chinese startup aims to ½ fusion cost. | 3. US SMRs recycling weapons-grade uranium.

🚨TECH BUZZ ANNOUNCEMENT:

We are making some changes — Our Closed Deals, Companies to Watch, and Funding Buzz sections will now live in a separate email sent weekly on Monday wrapping up the top deals from the previous week.

Please get in touch with feedback on this change and any other suggestions as to what you would like us to feature more of.