Apple could be about to add an AI assistant to the Apple Support app, and that would be excellent news for iPhone, iPad, and Mac users around the world.
First spotted by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris, new code hints at an AI-powered ‘Support Assistant’ coming to the Apple Support app.
According to Perris, “The code states that the Support Assistant ‘uses generative models,’ and that it will provide answers ‘related to certain Apple products and services’ Apple warns that generative models can sometimes provide ‘incorrect, misleading, incomplete, offensive, or harmful outputs,’ and that customers should not rely on information from Support Assistant as a substitute for professional advice.”
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At the moment, the Apple Support app lets you talk to a real-life Genius Bar member about issues with your products, and allows you to receive troubleshooting support without the need of heading to your local Apple Store.
While there are no details on when this AI-powered assistant will launch, this could be a huge improvement in the way we access Apple Support, and as an ex-Apple Genius Bar employee, I’m going to explain why.
AI for the better
I worked at Apple’s Genius Bar for nearly four years while studying journalism at university, so I’ve had many encounters with Apple Support behind the scenes and as a customer.
The Apple Support app is excellent, and is one of the main reasons I recommend Apple products to my family members who are looking to buy new tech. I truly believe the Genius Bar is one of Apple’s best products, and AI is only going to make it better.
I can’t count the number of times customers would travel long distances to come to the Apple Store, only for the issue they were experiencing to be an incredibly simple fix.
With an AI-powered assistant, Apple users could get pointed in the right direction every single time rather than relying on the customer to select the correct service path.
The Apple Support app already asks a few questions to make sure the customer gets the right support, whether that be online, at the store, or via support articles. However, adding AI chatbot capabilities would hopefully improve that experience even more, alleviating pressure on Genius Bar employees and improving the customer experience.
Adding AI chatbots to customer service might sound infuriating, but as long as Apple uses generative AI as a way to improve the customer experience, then I think this rumored feature would be genius.