There have been reports that AppleCare is testing a new ChatGPT-like system to provide faster and more reliable customer care However, this program is currently only available to a select group of advisors

According to MacRumors, Apple has launched a new pilot program called "Ask" that AppleCare support advisors can use to address customer issues The tool can automatically generate answers to technical questions and communicate them to customers via online chat or phone

"Ask" generates these answers from Apple's internal knowledge base and allows advisors to rate the answers as either "helpful" or "not helpful If necessary, advisors can also ask up to five follow-up questions per topic to get more detailed answers While still only a few test subjects, Apple plans to make this tool more accessible in the future

The AI assistant will help reduce the time each support advisor spends on the phone with customers and reduce overall wait times Apple encourages advisors to use "Ask" before using other search methods or talking to a senior advisor The tool is also linked to Apple's internal knowledge base, making it clear that answers are factual, traceable, and useful

There is certainly a need for fast and effective support when dealing with technical issues, and "Ask" appears to be a great help in that area It will be interesting to see how far Apple develops this tool For example, whether retailer Genius will be able to support customers directly Another possible route would be to offer a reduced version to customers, allowing them to demand answers themselves, and not allowing them to place their phones in rice

Companies are slowly learning how to best use AI, and there are plenty of pitfalls But Apple is definitely one of the best companies to find new uses for this technology, and "Ask" seems like a great start Only time will tell if the tests bear fruit and help advisors in their work