Cupertino, California – Apple is working quietly on AI tools to rival OpenAI, Google, and others, but the release strategy is unclear. 

They've built their framework, "Ajax," for large language models and created an internal chatbot service known as "Apple GPT" with multiple teams collaborating on the project. GPT, short for Generative Pre-trained Transformers, is a family of transformer-based neural network models that can generate human-like responses and engage in natural conversations.

Apple's AI efforts are a response to the success of generative tools that it has been slow to adopt, such as ChatGPT, Google Bard, and Microsoft's Bing AI. The company realizes the importance of keeping up with AI advances to maintain competitiveness in the market. The Ajax framework has been used to improve Siri, maps, and search. 

While Apple has no immediate plans to release their chatbot externally, it could assist with product prototyping internally. Apple's leadership is exploring consumer angles for generative AI, with a potential AI-related announcement in the future. 

Apple also conducted a trial of OpenAI's technology and is hiring experts in generative AI. Integrating large language models into Siri is a potential application. Despite being an early entrant in the AI space, Siri fell behind due to Apple's focus on other areas. The company acknowledges the promise of LLMs but emphasizes the need for guardrails and regulations.