Apple gets ready for AI in the enterprise with new ChatGPT configuration options

As AI technology makes its way into the enterprise, Apple is rolling out new tools that will give businesses more granular control over where and how their employees can tap into artificial intelligence. With the release of Apple’s software updates arriving in September, the tech giant is adding another option for enterprise customers: the ability to configure the use of an enterprise version of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Apple has already seen the demand for ChatGPT for Enterprise, which OpenAI says now has over 5 million business customers. These companies use the AI service to connect with their own internal data when using AI agents.

However, what’s interesting about the way Apple’s integration with ChatGPT for Enterprise has been structured is that it’s not hard-coded to only restrict or allow ChatGPT itself.

Instead, Apple’s support documents indicate that IT administrators will be able to restrict or allow any “external” artificial intelligence provider, not just OpenAI’s technology. That leaves the door open for Apple to forge other deals with large AI players used in the enterprise environment, without having to recode things at the protocol level.

As Apple has rolled out new AI features aimed at its devices’ end users — like writing tools or visual intelligence, for example — it’s also rolled out ways for IT departments to control access to those features.

While the company fully believes in its Private Cloud Compute architecture, it knows that it can take time for companies to agree to make changes to sensitive systems and data. That’s why it leaves it up to businesses to decide if data should be processed in the cloud or on the device, for example.

In addition to letting businesses pick and choose which AI features to enable, this setup allows businesses to decide whether employees’ AI requests can go to ChatGPT’s cloud service, even when the business doesn’t have its own enterprise deal with OpenAI. (ChatGPT, you’ll recall, has been integrated with Apple Intelligence across Apple’s software platform to handle AI requests that Apple’s own cloud can’t. Because requests never go from Apple’s cloud to ChatGPT directly — it’s either/or — it’s easier to disable the ChatGPT setting.)

While AI updates are a highlight of the enterprise-related updates due out in the fall, Apple is also rolling out other new features to its largest customers.

It will launch an API for its Apple Business Manager service, which will allow the service’s functions to be integrated into other IT tools, like MDM products, inventory management services, or help desks, among others. It’s also debuting new tools for Device Management to make it easier to migrate devices to a different management service — something that often comes up in M&A scenarios when a new company takes over employee devices and assets.

Apple’s Return to Service solution, which lets devices quickly get wiped and readied for the next user, will now offer the option to leave all apps installed, saving time and bandwidth since IT admins and users won’t need to reinstall them. Plus, Return to Service will become available for Vision Pro for the first time.

On shared Macs, an authenticated Guest Mode lets employees log in with account credentials from their identity provider, then has their data (but not apps) erased upon logout. Another option lets businesses add NFC readers to Macs, so employees can just tap their watch or phone to log in.

These tools will also roll out in September as part of Apple’s broader software updates for iPhone, iPad, Mac and more.

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