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  • Apple to hold internal AI development conference, seems to be returning to in-person events

    Apple to hold internal AI development conference, seems to be returning to in-person events

    As Apple begins to ease its COVID-19 policies, the company will be holding its annual internal Artificial Intelligence (AI) summit as an in-person event, a sign that Apple may be bringing back traditional media events.

    Per Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the AI summit is similar to Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference, except it caters only to Apple employees. Topics this year are expected to focus on ChatGPT and OpenAI.

    The event will also be streamed live for employees who might not be able to attend.

    It’s unknown as to exactly what Apple’s road map might be, but this could also portend a return to in-person events such as iPhone launches and its annual Worldwide Developers Conference.

    It was recently learned that Apple changed its corporate worker COVID-19 policy and will no longer require employees to get tested before entering the office.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider and @markgurman

  • Apple delays in-person work return dates for Bay Area employees following spike in COVID-19 case numbers

    Apple delays in-person work return dates for Bay Area employees following spike in COVID-19 case numbers

    If people were complaining about Apple pushing its employees to return to in-person work too quickly, well, that’s off for a while.

    Where originally the company had stated its requirement that its Bay Area employees return to work in-person three days a week starting May 23, Apple is now delaying that requirement.

    The company has yet to set a new date as to when the requirement will go into effect. Employees are currently expected to work in-person two days a week.

    On April 11, Apple employees began returning to in-person work following a two-year stint of remote work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tech giant originally had a plan to bring employees back to work through phases, with a requirement of two days
    in-person work starting May 4.

    The next step of the process involved bringing employees back into the offices starting May 23. The employees would specifically have to show up to work Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. This, however, is where Apple is stalling.

    As reported by Bloomberg, Apple has canceled plans to return to in-person work three days a week indefinitely. Apple has also strengthened its masking policies, requiring employees to wear face masks throughout common areas.

    The comes at a point in which COVID-19 cases have once again begun to increase in the U.S. and around the world. Hospitalizations are also increasing, but at a much slower speed.

    Apple has faced considerable criticism concerning the company’s policy to return-to-work. While many employees have complained, at least one notable employee has outright resigned. At the beginning of the month, Apple lost Ian Goodfellow, the company’s machine learning director, citing return-to-work orders.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via The Mac Observer, Bloomberg, and The New York Times