The major tech giant Apple has begun testing a new artificial intelligence-based system called Live Notes. The tool is being integrated into the operations of the company's famous Genius Bar support service, located in its retail stores. The main goal of this innovation is to automate the documentation of dialogues between customers and technical specialists.

How Live Notes works

According to information obtained from Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman, the pilot program aims to significantly simplify routine tasks for employees. As part of the experiment, Live Notes performs three key functions:

  • Records the entire course of the conversation with the customer.
  • Transcribes spoken speech into text.
  • Compiles a brief summary, highlighting the main points of the conversation.

The result of the algorithm's work is saved to the employee's iPad. This allows Genius Bar experts to no longer spend time taking notes during consultations, focusing instead on solving the device's problem. At the same time, the system is not fully autonomous: before final saving, the employee can edit the transcript and summary to make necessary clarifications.

Privacy and consent issues

The implementation of the system is accompanied by strict privacy rules. To start recording, explicit consent from both parties is required — both the Apple employee and the customer. The technical implementation excludes the saving of audio files: the system works with text transcripts, which are used exclusively as reference material for the current repair or further support.

Employee reaction and market context

Despite the stated advantages, concerns have arisen within the company. Some Genius Bar workers have expressed concern that recorded dialogues could be used by management to evaluate their professional performance. Apple has officially assured staff that transcripts will not be passed to managers for these purposes.

Apple's experiment is taking place against the backdrop of growing anxiety in the tech sector regarding the use of AI for employee monitoring. Previously, similar concerns arose around Meta, which was forced to suspend a program that tracked employees' mouse movements and keystrokes under the pretext of training artificial intelligence.