Apple reportedly developing an AI assistant for its Support app

The Apple Support app could soon gain an AI-powered assistant.

The Apple Support app could soon gain a ChatGPT-style AI assistant, which could be powered by Apple Intelligenceor third-party AI, as a new report claims there’s evidence of the feature in Apple code.

As its name implies, the Apple Support application is designed to assist customers. It displays the company’s official store hours, details regarding accessibility at the location, and the specialty services offered, among other things.

The official Support app from Apple has received multiple updates over the years, and it looks like it’s set to gain yet another feature. According to MacRumors, the iPhone maker has plans to debut a new “Support Assistant” powered by generative AI.

Code for this enhancement reportedly already exists, but the alleged AI assistant doesn’t appear to be accessible just yet. The Support Assistant will likely build upon the Support app’s chat feature that relies on Messages.

Currently, Apple users can get in touch with a customer service representative through the Apple Support app, which opens a new Business Chat in Messages. The supposed Support Assistant will likely offer AI-generated solutions to problems or answers to customer questions, before connecting users to a live agent.

Other companies, like eBay, have incorporated similar features into their respective apps and websites, but Apple’s implementation appears as though it could be more advanced. Code related to the feature reportedly says that the Support Assistant uses generative AI models and that it provides information on select Apple products and services, among other things.

Apple has reportedly also included a disclaimer, which cautions users about “incorrect, misleading, incomplete, offensive, or harmful outputs,” and explains that the AI-powered support assistant should not be regarded as a substitute for professional advice from a live customer service representative.

Possibly powered by third-party AI

As for what exactly powers the Support Assistant, the report says that it will be offered through cooperation with partner companies. This suggests Apple might work together with OpenAI to deliver the feature, or possibly with another company like Anthropic or Google. OpenAI seems like a particularly reasonable option, given that ChatGPT integration has been an iOS feature since iOS 18.2.

These latest claims of an alleged Support Assistant line up with an earlier rumor from February 2024, which claimed that Apple was internally testing a tool called “Ask.” While the Support Assistant is a consumer-oriented feature, Apple’s Ask tool is said to have relied on generative AI to respond to the questions of AppleCare employees, using answers from an internal database.

The development of an AI-based Support Assistant is a logical choice for Apple, though the timing is far from ideal. Certain Apple Intelligence features have faced significant delays and have yet to become available to end consumers, which reportedly led to embarrassment behind closed doors.

While Apple did introduce AI-related improvements with iOS 26, in the form of Apple Intelligence Shortcuts and a new Foundation Models framework, there weren’t nearly as many AI features announced at WWDC as there were in 2024. Recently, on June 7, the head of Apple’s foundation models team, Ruoming Pang, was poached by Meta with a significant pay package.

Given the lack of any recent AI development, it’s possible that Apple repurposed the technology behind its Ask tool, but it’s more likely that the company used the technology of a major AI firm like OpenAI or Anthropic. Time will tell if and when the supposed Support Assistant feature will see the light of day.

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