Perplexity's AI Engine May Make Your Apple Devices Smarter

Perplexity, an AI company known for its search engine, has announced a significant step that could change how some AI tools work for people using Apple computers and devices. They're making a special piece of software, called Lily, available for everyone to use freely. Lily is an AI engine, which is the core program that helps AI models run and understand information.

What makes Lily interesting is that it's been built specifically for Apple's own computer chips, known as 'Apple silicon'. These are the chips found in newer MacBooks, iMacs, and even iPhones and iPads. By tailoring the software directly to these chips, Lily promises to make AI tasks run much faster and more efficiently on Apple devices.

Usually, AI models need a lot of computing power, often from large data centres far away. But Lily allows some of these AI tasks to happen directly on your own device, without needing to connect to the internet for every request. This means your information stays on your device, offering better privacy.

For Australian small businesses or individuals who use Apple products, this could open up new possibilities. Imagine using AI tools on your MacBook for tasks like summarising documents or drafting emails, and having them respond instantly, even without Wi-Fi. It might also mean developers can create more powerful, private AI applications specifically for the Apple ecosystem. While it's early days, it's a step towards more personalised and private AI experiences.