Apple is offering up to $1 million to anyone who can find security issues in its new AI servers. Apple CEO Tim Cook recently announced new AI features for the iPhone 15 Pro, Pro Max, and iPhone 16, calling it an “exciting new era.” These updates include tools for writing, photo cleanup, and a more conversational Siri.
While these features are promising, some reviewers think they are only a small first step. According to CNET editor Bridget Carey, these tools are available on a limited basis in the US. To access them, users need to join a waitlist in their iPhone settings. Fun features like creating personalized AI emojis (called “Genmoji”) are still in development.
Another CNET reviewer, Lisa Eadicicco, notes that these features don’t drastically change the iPhone experience yet. However, she finds the new message and notification summaries helpful, especially to quickly see important messages at a glance. While the AI summaries are useful, they are not perfect and sometimes miss things like sarcasm or inside jokes.
Apple is gradually releasing these AI features to ensure quality. Apple’s software head, Craig Federighi, said this careful approach is part of their strategy.
Apple is also prioritizing privacy and security for these AI functions, using a system called Private Cloud Compute (PCC). PCC handles complex AI tasks that require cloud processing while keeping data secure. Apple claims PCC has the “most advanced security architecture” for AI in the cloud, protecting data by keeping it on the device as much as possible. When data must go to the cloud, Apple says it’s used only for the specific task and is never stored.
Apple is so confident in PCC’s security that it’s inviting hackers and security experts to test it. Through its Apple Security Bounty program, the company will pay rewards between $50,000 and $1 million for finding security vulnerabilities in PCC.
Source: cnet
