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Redditors uncovered the set of prompts Apple is using to instruct its suite of AI tools, Apple Intelligence.
Some prompts have small grammatical errors, Ars Technica found, and show how thin the layer of protection is between useful AI and off-the-walls AI. To prevent the AI bot from hallucinating, the instructions are simply, “Do not hallucinate,” and “Do not make up factual information.”
One use case showed how easy it can be to get around the straightforward instructions Apple laid out for its AI tools. The prompt that’s likely for Apple’s new AI video generation tool in Photos, called “Memories,” says ““Do not write a story that is religious, political, harmful, violent, sexual, filthy or in any way negative, sad or provocative.” While the tool wouldn’t fulfill a request from The Verge’s Wes Davis for “images of sadness,” they easily got the tool to go out of bounds by asking for “a video of people in mourning” (which, sadly, included a photo of a dead grasshopper).
Tim Cook and Co. unveiled Apple Intelligence in early June during the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference.
“We are embarking on a new journey to bring you intelligence that understands you,” Apple’s software engineering lead Craig Federighi said during the debut. “And it is deeply integrated into our platforms and throughout the apps you rely on to communicate, work, and express yourself.”
“Built in a uniquely Apple way, we think Apple intelligence is going to be indispensable to the products that already play such an integral role in our lives,” Cook added.
The Apple Intelligence announcement generated a lot of hype — Apple shares surged as investors predicted the company would revolutionize the smartphone industry with AI-powered “intelliphones.” The hype eased when reports surfaced saying Apple has pushed back the rollout of its AI features. Still, the tools are available in beta mode for developers.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman remarked that Apple has a long way to go in order to live up to said hype.
“After testing the first beta version of Apple Intelligence myself, I can tell you that the features don’t yet live up to the excitement,” he wrote in his newsletter over the weekend. “In their current state, they’re a far cry from the game-changing technology that fans and investors hope Apple Intelligence will become.”