Here’s the Apple app that could most benefit from an infusion of artificial intelligence…
The biggest tech story of 2023 is undoubtedly the rise of so-called “artificial intelligence,” or AI. Last year’s big AI story was around tools like Dall-E for creating AI-generated original works of art based on a text prompt. I’m still completely mesmerized by that capability (which is only getting better), but this year everyone is obsessed with AI-based chat tools like Chat GPT. One of the biggest questions for Apple watchers is, will Apple incorporate this type of AI into its own products and if so, how and when?
It occurred to me that one Apple app which could benefit from an infusion of AI is Apple Weather.
Here in Nashville, we’re anticipating severe weather this evening, though you wouldn’t really know that from looking at Apple’s Weather app. Sure, it says “Thunderstorms expected around 3 PM, and it does graphically indicate that on the hourly forecast below with precipitation percentages, but that doesn’t adequately convey exactly what kind of storms to expect.
In contrast, here’s what the National Weather Service says on Twitter: “Storms are expected later this afternoon and evening across Middle TN. Some storms may be severe, with damaging straight-line winds and large hail the primary threats. Localized flooding is also possible with slow-moving storms, and an isolated tornado or two cannot be ruled out.” The tweet includes a graphic of which areas of Middle Tennessee are under which level of forecasted storm severity.
The last couple of days I’ve been playing around with Perplexity, an AI search engine based on the same underlying technology as Chat GPT. When you ask it a question it quickly displays a short, easy to understand answer to your question and provides sources that you can use to validate its result.
I asked Perplexity the following question: “Will it storm this evening in Middle Tennessee?”
This was the response: “Based on the available information, it is likely to storm this evening in Middle Tennessee. WKRN News and Weather.gov both report the possibility of thunderstorms and heavy rainfall this evening. Additionally, WKRN News reports a 100% chance of rain and 1 to 2 inches of rain expected. It is recommended to stay updated on the latest weather forecasts and take necessary precautions.”
Let’s assume that a future Apple AI would be built into Siri. How great would it have been if I’d received the following notification from Siri sometime on Monday: “Severe weather is possible for your area Wednesday evening. The National Weather Service has advised that storms may be severe with damaging straight-line winds, large hail, and localized flooding. An isolated tornado is also possible. I’ll provide an update for you tomorrow evening and Wednesday morning.”
I’ve always maintained that tools like Apple Weather have saved lives. We can’t fully know how many people have benefited from accurate app-based weather forecasting, and to what extent. Tools like Apple Weather can never be perfect, and you should always consult human weather forecasters as well (even if Apple enhances Apple Weather with AI), but how great would it be if Apple automatically sent you real-world, detailed forecasting via AI? That’s what I’m hoping for in the future.