Apple is reportedly holding its annual "AI summit" at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park today, February 7. The event will include Apple employees, with those who cannot attend also watching via a stream.
The event will be the first to take place at Apple Park since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
It's hoped that Apple will continue to relax its COVID-19 policy, leading to more in-person events throughout the year.
Test event
Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conferences typically see thousands of people attend a conference center of Apple's choosing, but that all changed when the pandemic hit. Since then, we've witnessed WWDC go online only, with WWDC22 being a hybrid event that allowed some developers and press members to visit Apple Park.
Even then, however, the event was pre-recorded, whereas it would generally be in-person. So it's hoped that this in-person AI summit could be the first of many to return to that kind of gathering.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman shared the summit news, noting that this is "essentially how Apple held media events pre-COVID."
Interestingly, the event will be held in the Steve Jobs Theater at the Apple HQ and the in-person event will be streamed to employees as well. So, essentially how Apple held media events pre-Covid. Have to wonder if Apple will also return to that for public product launches. https://t.co/uhLv4se9oWFebruary 6, 2023
It's been suggested that this summit is a test event, although it remains to be seen what will come of it.
If that is the case, however, we could see Apple announcing its best iPhones at an in-person event this September. We're already expecting big things from the iPhone 15 lineup, including the addition of a USB-C port.
As for WWDC, that's a slightly different animal because of the number of people that would need to visit. However, it's possible that Apple could tweak last year's hybrid model to allow more people to visit. We could at least see CEO Tim Cook give the opening keynote in person.
As for what the summit itself will entail, nobody knows, given the closed nature of the event. But it seems likely that Apple will discuss AI and its future role in products and services.
