Apple is developing AI management tools tailored for enterprise customers! As artificial intelligence technology accelerates its penetration into the corporate environment, this tech giant is set to introduce new tools in its September software update, allowing enterprise IT administrators to precisely control when and where employees use AI features.
The most notable aspect is that Apple will offer enterprise customers the option to configure OpenAI's Enterprise version of ChatGPT. OpenAI revealed that the Enterprise version of ChatGPT has already attracted over 5 million commercial users, with these companies using the service to seamlessly integrate AI agents with their internal data. Apple clearly sees this huge demand.
However, Apple's integration with the Enterprise version of ChatGPT is forward-thinking. According to Apple's support documentation, IT administrators can not only restrict or allow the use of ChatGPT but also implement the same control measures for any "external" artificial intelligence provider. This design leaves ample room for Apple to collaborate with other enterprise AI giants in the future without needing to re-code at the protocol level.
While introducing new AI features such as writing tools and visual intelligence to end users, Apple also provides corresponding access control mechanisms for IT departments. Although the company is confident in its private cloud infrastructure, it also understands that enterprises need time to consider sensitive system and data changes. Therefore, Apple gives enterprises full control over where data processing takes place, allowing them to decide whether to process it in the cloud or on the device locally.
The cleverness of this system lies in the fact that enterprises can not only select which AI features to enable, but also decide whether to allow employee AI requests to be sent to the ChatGPT cloud service without having an enterprise agreement with OpenAI. Since Apple's cloud service and ChatGPT use a non-direct connection mode, IT administrators can easily disable the ChatGPT settings.
Aside from the major focus on AI feature control, Apple has also prepared other enterprise-level new features for large customers. The company will launch an API interface for the Apple Business Manager service, allowing its functions to be integrated into MDM products, inventory management services, or help desk tools. At the same time, a new device management tool will simplify the process of migrating devices to different management services, which is particularly useful in enterprise merger scenarios.
Apple's "Return to Service" solution has also been upgraded. This feature can quickly clean devices and prepare them for the next user, now with an option to retain all installed applications, saving time and bandwidth for IT administrators and users. More notably, the Vision Pro device has gained support for the Return to Service feature for the first time.
On shared Mac devices, the new authentication guest mode allows employees to log in using account credentials from identity providers, and upon logging out, only the data is cleared while the applications are retained. Another innovative feature allows enterprises to add NFC card readers to Mac devices, enabling employees to log in by simply tapping their watch or phone.
All these enterprise-level new tools will be released in September along with the software updates for Apple devices such as iPhone, iPad, and Mac, marking Apple's comprehensive efforts in the field of enterprise AI management.
