Apple Inc. has initiated the use of imagery and data collected through its Apple Maps’ Look Around feature to train artificial intelligence models, starting in March 2025. This strategic move aims to bolster various AI-driven services, including image recognition, creation, and enhancement.
The Look Around feature, akin to Google’s Street View, offers users interactive street-level imagery. Apple gathers these visuals and corresponding 3D data using vehicles and, in pedestrian-only zones, backpacks equipped with cameras, sensors, and devices such as iPhones and iPads. The company emphasizes its commitment to user privacy by ensuring that any published images have faces and license plates blurred. Only these anonymized images are utilized for AI model training.
This initiative is poised to enhance several AI-powered features within Apple’s ecosystem. Notably, the Image Playground, which allows users to interact creatively with images; the Clean Up tool in the Photos app, designed to remove unwanted elements from photos; and advanced image search capabilities are expected to benefit significantly. These improvements aim to provide users with more intuitive and powerful tools for managing and editing their visual content.
Apple’s foray into generative AI was officially announced in June 2024, a move some industry observers considered belated compared to competitors like Google and Microsoft. However, Apple executives have highlighted the company’s deliberate and consumer-centric approach to AI integration, focusing on user privacy and seamless functionality. Craig Federighi, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, noted that experimenting with OpenAI’s GPT-3 in 2020 inspired Apple’s unique AI strategy. The company aims to embed AI features that operate transparently and enhance user experience without compromising privacy.
The integration of Look Around imagery into AI training represents a significant step in Apple’s broader AI strategy. By leveraging its vast repository of street-level imagery, Apple seeks to refine and expand the capabilities of its AI models, thereby enhancing the functionality and user experience of its products and services.
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