March 23 (Reuters) – Apple said on Monday it would host its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) online from June 8 to 12, showcasing updates across its platform, including AI advancements and new software and developer tools.
Developers and students will be invited to attend in person at Apple Park on the opening day, the iPhone maker said in a statement.
Apple has faced a series of setbacks in the artificial intelligence race, with voice assistant Siri’s upgrade getting delayed, top-level executive changes and a lukewarm debut for the initial rollout of its generative AI tools.
The presentations at Apple’s last developers conference focused more on incremental developments, including live translations for phone calls, which improve everyday life rather than the sweeping ambitions for AI that its rivals are marketing.
Apple kept conservative AI promises to consumers, saying the technology could help with tasks such as finding where to buy a jacket similar to one they have seen online.
Separately, Bloomberg News reported on Monday that Apple is preparing to introduce advertising in its Maps app as part of a wider push to grow its services revenue.
An announcement could come as early as this month, the report said, citing people with knowledge of the matter. Retailers and brands would be able to bid for ad slots against search queries, similar to how advertising works in Google Maps.
Apple intends to launch ads inside Maps as early as this summer, with the rollout spanning the iPhone, other devices and web platforms, the report added.
The company did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Revenue from Apple’s services segment, which includes Apple Music, iCloud and other software, climbed to a record $30.01 billion in the first quarter, broadly in line with analysts’ expectations.
(Reporting by Juby Babu in Mexico City; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar and Alan Barona)
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