Category: 4. Technology

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Apple has reportedly launched an AI chatbot for its retail staff.
• Asa is intended to be an automated digital sales assistant.
• The chatbot arrives just weeks before the launch of iPhone 17.

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Apple has reportedly launched a new AI chatbot — for its employees, not for its customers.

Nicknamed Asa, the chatbot is designed to serve as an automated digital assistant for the company’s retail staff, making them better equipped to sell iPhones and other products, according to screenshots posted to X on Sunday by MacRumors
analyst Aaron Perris.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

What can Asa do?

Asa has been launched within SEED, Apple’s internal app for sales training, according to Perris’ post. With the iPhone 17 expected to hit stores later this month — along with a raft of new software updates — the company could be hoping that its new chatbot will provide extra support for its global retail team ahead of expected sales. 

Also: Kuo: Apple just increased its folding iPhone plans for 2026 – will triple Samsung’s Fold 7

An employee using Asa might, for example, consult it to get a better sense of how iPhones can be used across different industries, according to one of the screenshots posted to X. The feature is reportedly still being tested in beta. Apple also launched an experimental AI chatbot called Support Assistant within its Support app to some users earlier this month.

Inward-focused AI

At a time when virtually every major tech company has been ratcheting up its efforts to push AI products to customers, the launch of Asa suggests that Apple is instead looking inward, bringing the technology to its employees. The company is famously secretive, and it’s unclear which model the chatbot is based upon — whether it’s proprietary, open-sourced, or licensed from another developer. 

While the details of Apple’s long-term AI strategy come into focus, the company seems to be betting that the technology can be used in the meantime to give its employees an edge.

Also: Upgrading to the iPhone 17? Nearly 70% of users plan to after launch – here’s why

Putting an AI assistant into the hands of individual retail employees could be a useful strategy. A recent study from MIT found that bottom-up, back-office applications of this kind were one of the decisive factors that separated the very small minority of successful business applications of AI from the vast majority of those that have completely fallen flat. 

Apple’s long-term AI goals

Apple has also stood out from other major tech developers during the ongoing AI boom in that it’s opted (so far, at least) not to build its own, proprietary, customer-facing AI chatbot. Instead, as it made clear during its most recent Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, the company is focusing its efforts on incorporating AI into its existing products. 

For example, rather than releasing the AI-powered Swift Assist coding assistant that was originally announced back in WWDC 2024, Apple has instead introduced Xcode 26 — part of the bundle of new releases expected from Apple later this month — which will allow developers to harness coding assistance from ChatGPT or a variety of other chatbots. 

Also: If these iPhone 17 Air rumors are real, my old phone is about to be retired

The tech world has been rife with speculation about Apple’s planned next steps for AI since it has yet to follow up on its June 2024 unveiling of Apple Intelligence with any proprietary customer-facing products. Instead, the company has leaned heavily on a partnership with OpenAI, fusing ChatGPT into its on-device voice assistant, Siri.

An upgraded version of the ChatGPT-powered Siri, designed to be more aware of individual user context, is expected to roll out within the next year, following a delay. Apple is also weighing the possibility of instead powering the revamped Siri with a custom model built atop Google’s Gemini, according to Bloomberg.

OpenAI’s latest model, GPT-5, will be added to the new iOS 26, MacOS 26, and iPad 26, all of which are also slated for release later this month. 

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Disclosure, consent and platform power have become newly invigorated battlefields with the rise of AI.

The issue came to the fore recently with YouTube’s controversial decision to use AI-powered tools to “unblur, denoise and improve clarity” for some of the content uploaded to the platform. This was done without the consent, or even knowledge, of the relevant content creators. Viewers of the material knew nothing of YouTube’s intervention.

Without transparency, users have limited recourse to identify, let alone respond to, AI-edited content. At the same time, such distortions have a history that significantly predates today’s AI tools.

A new kind of invisible edit

Platforms such as YouTube aren’t the first to engage in subtle image manipulation.

For decades, lifestyle magazines have “airbrushed” photos to soften or sharpen certain features. Not only are readers not informed of the changes, often the celebrity in question isn’t either. In 2003, actor Kate Winslet angrily decried British GQ’s choice to alter her cover shot – which included narrowing her waist – without her consent.

The wider public has also shown an appetite for editing images before posting to social media. This makes sense. One 2021 study that looked at 7.6 million user-posted photos on Flickr found filtered photos were more likely to get views and engagement.

However, YouTube’s recent decision demonstrates the extent to which users may not be in the driver’s seat.

TikTok faced a similar scandal in 2021, when some Android users realised a “beauty filter” had been applied automatically to their posts without their consent or disclosure.

This is especially concerning as recent research has found a link between the use of appearance-enhancing TikTok filters and self-image concerns.

Undisclosed alterations extend to offline as well. In 2018, new iPhone models were found to be automatically using a feature called Smart HDR (High Dynamic Range) to “smooth” users’ skin. This was later described by Apple as a “bug”, and was reversed.

These issues also collided in the Australian political sphere last year. Nine News published an AI-modified photo of Victorian MP Georgie Purcell that exposed her midriff, whereas it was covered in the original photo. They did not tell viewers the image they used had been edited with AI.

The issue isn’t limited to visual content, either. In 2023, author Jane Friedman found Amazon selling five AI-generated books under her name. Not only were they not her works, they also posed the risk of significant reputational harm.

In each of these cases, the algorithmic alterations were presented without disclosure to those who viewed them.

The disappearing disclosure

Disclosure is one of the simplest tools we have to adapt to an increasingly altered AI-mediated reality.

Research suggests companies that are transparent about their use of AI algorithms are more likely to be trusted by users with the users’ initial trust in the company and AI system playing a significant role.

While users have demonstrated diminishing trust in AI systems globally, they have also shown increasing trust in AI they have used themselves, including the belief that it will inevitably get better.

So why do companies still use AI without disclosing it? Perhaps it’s because disclosures of AI use can be problematic. Research has found disclosing AI use consistently reduces trust in the relevant person or organisation, although not as much as if they are discovered to have used AI without disclosure.

Beyond trust, the impact of disclosures is complex. Research has found disclosures on AI-generated misinformation are unlikely to make that information any less persuasive to viewers. However, they can make people hesitate to share the content, for fear of spreading misinformation.

Sailing into the AI-generated unknown

With time it will only get harder to identify confected and manipulated AI imagery. Even sophisticated AI detectors remain a step behind.

Another big challenge in fighting misinformation – a problem made worse by the rise of AI – is confirmation bias. This refers to users’ tendency to be less critical of media (AI or otherwise) that confirms what they already believe.

Fortunately there are resources at our disposal, provided we have the presence of mind to seek them out. Younger media consumers in particular have developed strategies that can push back against the tide of misinformation on the internet. One of these is simple triangulation, which involves seeking out multiple reliable sources to confirm a piece of news.

Users can also curate their social media feeds by purposefully liking or following people and groups they trust, while excluding poorer quality sources. But they may face an uphill battle, as platforms such as TikTok and YouTube are inclined towards an infinite scroll model that encourages passive consumption over tailored engagement.

While YouTube’s decision to alter creators’ videos without consent or disclosure is likely within its legal rights as a platform, it puts its users and contributors in a difficult position.

And given previous cases from other major platforms – as well as the outsized power digital platforms enjoy – this probably won’t be the last time this happens.

WhatsApp has added AI-generated backgrounds for video calls, as well as a range of new filters and effects, giving you more ways to spice up your private chats.

So now, you can imagine yourself in any situation you want, and add that as your WhatsApp background, which could provide a more engaging, interesting way to vary your video calls in the app.

It also expands on WhatsApp’s creative communication tools.

Back in February, WhatsApp added a range of new chat themes, enabling you to customize your in-stream chats with colorful backgrounds, alternative chat bubbles, and more.

But it didn’t include AI-generated backgrounds, which are available in other Meta apps. But now, Meta’s bringing that option to WhatsApp as well, as it continues to expand its gen AI tools to as many places and elements as it possibly can, with a view to dominating the AI race.

WhatsApp’s preset filters, meanwhile, will give you easy options to set your background with beach scenes, forests, etc.

I mean, I don’t know that you need to vary your background that much in WhatsApp chats, considering that you’re likely to be speaking to people you know in the app. But with Meta also looking to make WhatsApp a more valuable tool for professional connection, it’ll give you another consideration.

So more AI from Meta, in more places, so you can create imaginary variations of things that you’re not actually experiencing.

It does seem a little weird that Meta’s so dedicated to helping people project an unrealistic image of themselves or their life via social apps, where we should all be looking to connect around real experiences.

But Zuck’s clearly excited about his AI tools, and as such, you can expect to see more of them, in more places, over time.

Get your favorite podcast app at the ready and your AirPods charged up, as we’ve got a fresh podcast launching tomorrow! It’s called The Business of Watches, and it’s hosted by our own Andy Hoffman and features long-format conversations with notable authors, CEOs, industry insiders, and fellow journalists, all about the business behind your favorite watches and watch brands. 

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The reliable supply chain reporter Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple just boosted its folding iPhone plans.
• Apple will reportedly boost 2026 manufacturing to 8-10 million and 2027 to 20-25 million.
• That is far beyond the 2.4 million units Samsung plans to sell for its recent Fold 7 device.

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Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo issued a new report on Tuesday that Apple just issued a 20% boost in the number of foldable iPhones it plans to manufacture in 2026 and a 40% boost in the number it will make for 2027.

Apple has long been expected to launch a foldable iPhone since the company holds over 30 patents in folding phones.

Kuo’s report stated, “Apple recently revised its shipment forecasts for the foldable iPhone upward to 8-10 million units in 2026 and 20-25 million in 2027 (vs. previous estimate of 6-8 million and 10-15 million, respectively).” 

In other words, Apple just got a lot more bullish about the number of folding iPhones it expects to sell in the coming years. Apple would likely not announce its folding iPhone until its fall 2026 iPhone event, a year from now.

Also: The best foldable phones of 2025: Expert tested and reviewed

By comparison, Samsung is planning to ship 2.4 million of its Samsung Fold 7 phone (a 9% increase over last year’s model), according to Korean source, The Elec. The Fold 7 is the model that is potentially the most like the one Apple is reportedly preparing to launch — an 8-inch foldable phone with a cover screen that is close to the size of a standard smartphone. 

If Apple is planning to more than triple the number of units of the Fold 7 that Samsung is planning to sell, then that would indicate that the company has tremendous confidence in the prototypes it’s currently making ahead of a launch in 2026. After all, Samsung has been refining the foldable phone concept for years. And recently, Chinese manufacturers have also been producing cutting-edge foldables such as the Honor Magic V5 and the Oppo Find N5.

“I think this comes from a place of pent-up demand for an iOS foldable,” said Anshel Sag, Principal Analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy. “But I would also say it likely requires more of a book foldable to hit those numbers.”

I recently started testing the Samsung Fold 7, and I’m not surprised that Apple is getting bullish. I’ve never loved folding phones, but the Fold 7 is quickly becoming one of my favorite phones I’ve ever tested. When folded, it’s roughly the same size as the iPhone 16 Pro Max, so it looks and feels like using a normal phone. 

Also: I spent a week in New York City with the Samsung Z Fold 7 – and it spoiled me the entire time

But when you unfold it, it becomes more like using an iPad Mini, except that the fold itself and the camera configuration give you a lot more options for doing things you could never do on a regular tablet — such as using it like a mini laptop, taking a selfie with the back cameras while previewing with the cover screen, and even using the cover screen like a teleprompter while recording a video with the back cameras. 

I’ll mention a lot more Fold 7 tricks in an upcoming ZDNET article, but the bottom line is that it gives us a preview of all the new capabilities Apple could bring to the iPhone by launching a folding version.

ZDNET reached out to Apple for comment and will update this article as we learn more.

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.

---

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The reliable supply chain reporter Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple just boosted its folding iPhone plans.
• Apple will reportedly boost 2026 manufacturing to 8-10 million and 2027 to 20-25 million.
• That is far beyond the 2.4 million units Samsung plans to sell for its recent Fold 7 device.

---

Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo issued a new report on Tuesday that Apple just issued a 20% boost in the number of foldable iPhones it plans to manufacture in 2026 and a 40% boost in the number it will make for 2027.

Apple has long been expected to launch a foldable iPhone since the company holds over 30 patents in folding phones.

Kuo’s report stated, “Apple recently revised its shipment forecasts for the foldable iPhone upward to 8-10 million units in 2026 and 20-25 million in 2027 (vs. previous estimate of 6-8 million and 10-15 million, respectively).” 

In other words, Apple just got a lot more bullish about the number of folding iPhones it expects to sell in the coming years. Apple would likely not announce its folding iPhone until its fall 2026 iPhone event, a year from now.

Also: The best foldable phones of 2025: Expert tested and reviewed

By comparison, Samsung is planning to ship 2.4 million of its Samsung Fold 7 phone (a 9% increase over last year’s model), according to Korean source, The Elec. The Fold 7 is the model that is potentially the most like the one Apple is reportedly preparing to launch — an 8-inch foldable phone with a cover screen that is close to the size of a standard smartphone. 

If Apple is planning to more than triple the number of units of the Fold 7 that Samsung is planning to sell, then that would indicate that the company has tremendous confidence in the prototypes it’s currently making ahead of a launch in 2026. After all, Samsung has been refining the foldable phone concept for years. And recently, Chinese manufacturers have also been producing cutting-edge foldables such as the Honor Magic V5 and the Oppo Find N5.

“I think this comes from a place of pent-up demand for an iOS foldable,” said Anshel Sag, Principal Analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy. “But I would also say it likely requires more of a book foldable to hit those numbers.”

I recently started testing the Samsung Fold 7, and I’m not surprised that Apple is getting bullish. I’ve never loved folding phones, but the Fold 7 is quickly becoming one of my favorite phones I’ve ever tested. When folded, it’s roughly the same size as the iPhone 16 Pro Max, so it looks and feels like using a normal phone. 

Also: I spent a week in New York City with the Samsung Z Fold 7 – and it spoiled me the entire time

But when you unfold it, it becomes more like using an iPad Mini, except that the fold itself and the camera configuration give you a lot more options for doing things you could never do on a regular tablet — such as using it like a mini laptop, taking a selfie with the back cameras while previewing with the cover screen, and even using the cover screen like a teleprompter while recording a video with the back cameras. 

I’ll mention a lot more Fold 7 tricks in an upcoming ZDNET article, but the bottom line is that it gives us a preview of all the new capabilities Apple could bring to the iPhone by launching a folding version.

ZDNET reached out to Apple for comment and will update this article as we learn more.

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.

---

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The reliable supply chain reporter Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple just boosted its folding iPhone plans.
• Apple will reportedly boost 2026 manufacturing to 8-10 million and 2027 to 20-25 million.
• That is far beyond the 2.4 million units Samsung plans to sell for its recent Fold 7 device.

---

Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo issued a new report on Tuesday that Apple just issued a 20% boost in the number of foldable iPhones it plans to manufacture in 2026 and a 40% boost in the number it will make for 2027.

Apple has long been expected to launch a foldable iPhone since the company holds over 30 patents in folding phones.

Kuo’s report stated, “Apple recently revised its shipment forecasts for the foldable iPhone upward to 8-10 million units in 2026 and 20-25 million in 2027 (vs. previous estimate of 6-8 million and 10-15 million, respectively).” 

In other words, Apple just got a lot more bullish about the number of folding iPhones it expects to sell in the coming years. Apple would likely not announce its folding iPhone until its fall 2026 iPhone event, a year from now.

By comparison, Samsung is planning to ship 2.4 million of its Samsung Fold 7 phone (a 9% increase over last year’s model), according to Korean source, The Elec. The Fold 7 is the model that is potentially the most like the one Apple is reportedly preparing to launch — an 8-inch foldable phone with a cover screen that is close to the size of a standard smartphone. 

If Apple is planning to more-than-triple the number of units of the Fold 7 that Samsung is planning to sell, then that would indicate that the company has tremendous confidence in the prototypes it’s currently making ahead of a launch in 2026. After all, Samsung has been refining the foldable phone concept for years. And recently, Chinese manufacturers have also been producing cutting edge foldables such as the Honor Magic V5 and the Oppo Find N5.

I recently started testing the Samsung Fold 7 and I’m not surprised that Apple is getting bullish. I’ve never loved folding phones, but the Fold 7 is quickly becoming one of my favorite phones I’ve ever tested. It’s now roughly the same size as the iPhone 16 Pro Max when folded, so it looks and feels like using a normal phone. 

But when you unfold it, it becomes more like using an iPad Mini, except that the fold itself and the camera configuration give you a lot more options for doing things you could never do on a regular tablet — such as using it like a mini laptop, taking a selfie with the back cameras while previewing with the cover screen, and even using the cover screen like a teleprompter while taking a video with the back cameras. There are a lot more Fold 7 tricks I’ll mention in an upcoming ZDNET article, but the bottom line is that it gives us a preview of all the new capabilities Apple could bring to the iPhone by launching a folding version.

ZDNET reached out to Apple for comment and will update this article as we learn more.

We are under two weeks away from the start of a new Marvel Rivals season, which means it is time for one more round of patch notes before some major changes hit the hero shooter’s servers.

In what appears to be a new trend for Marvel Rivals, the Sept. 4 weekly update will include a spread of patch notes along with a single new skin being added to the game. The patch notes mostly address some known issuers, while fixing a major bug with how Blade interacts with a few of the game’s most prominent tanks. 

Marvel Rivals’ next big patch will go live at 10pm ET on Sept. 4, with no server downtime. With this patch, new bug fixes for the general game, some maps, and Blade will be added, along with one new skin.

Mark your calendars — a new patch drops on September 5 at 2:00 UTC to level up your Marvel Rivals experience with updates and improvements!

Check out the full Patch Notes, everything you need to know is ready for you >>https://t.co/SZLEw4hVcX

No server downtime! Simply update… pic.twitter.com/ltC9jPf2oV

— Marvel Rivals (@MarvelRivals) September 2, 2025

Bug and Platform Fixes

Hero Changes

Related Article: Marvel Rivals Explains Its Controversial Matchmaking System

Traverse the chaos of the wastelands and tame the mech monster!

“So, my dad left me this old car, right? Well, out in the wasteland, it totally got hit by this virus called U17R0N and went nuts! It kept flipping and rebuilding itself, turning into a super scary mech monster. But… pic.twitter.com/em6sLCrjqT

— Marvel Rivals (@MarvelRivals) September 2, 2025

As shown in a new trailer, the Peni Parker – Wasteland Mech costume bundle will also be added to the store at 10pm ET. 

“So, my dad left me this old car, right? Well, out in the wasteland, it totally got hit by this virus called U17R0N and went nuts! It kept flipping and rebuilding itself, turning into a super scary mech monster. But guess what? My dad’s SP//dr totally shut down that techno-virus, and now it’s all chill and reliable. Honestly, it’s more than just a machine, it’s my closest friend out here now. Chotto busukawa, ne?”

As expected of what should be the final Season 3 patch, not much is changing here. The only impact players will see is in some areas of the game’s performance, fewer potential bugs on maps, and Blade being a bit stronger against both Emma Frost and Doctor Strange. 

Season 4 for Marvel Rivals should begin on Sept. 12, which means we have about a week or so for NetEase Games to start dropping trailers and sharing information about content for that release. This includes revealing the two new playable heroes coming as part of the next season and any major balance changes.

Amazon is further investing in AI-powered shopping experiences with Tuesday’s launch of Lens Live, a new AI-powered upgrade to its Amazon Lens shopping feature that allows consumers to discover new products through visual search, similar to competitors like Google Lens and Pinterest Lens. The tool will also integrate with Amazon’s AI shopping assistant, Rufus, for product insights, the retailer notes.

Lens Live will not replace Amazon’s existing visual search tool, Amazon Lens, which lets you take a picture, upload an image, or scan a barcode to discover products. Instead, it brings a real-time component to Amazon Lens so you can point your phone at things you’re seeing in the real world to see matching products in a swipeable carousel at the bottom of the screen.

The addition is one of several ways Amazon has been leveraging AI to help online shoppers. Over the past year or so, the company has also rolled out other features like its AI assistant Rufus, AI-powered shopping guides, AI-enhanced product reviews, AI tools for finding clothes that fit, AI audio product summaries, personalized shopping prompts, as well as tools for merchants.

Lens Live also capitalizes on activities customers are already doing: comparison shopping while in retail stores out in the real world to see if Amazon has a better deal on the same or similar item.

When using the new Lens Live feature, customers can tap on any item in their camera view to trigger the feature to focus on that product. If they find a match they like, they can add it to their shopping cart by tapping the (+) plus icon or tap the heart icon to save it to their wish list.

The feature is powered by Amazon SageMaker services, which allow machine learning models to be deployed at scale. It runs on AWS-managed Amazon OpenSearch.

In addition, Amazon’s AI-powered shopping assistant Rufus is available in the new experience, allowing customers to see AI-generated product summaries and suggested questions of conversational prompts they can ask to learn more about the item. According to Amazon, this lets shoppers do some quick product research and view product insights before making a purchase.

The Lens Live feature is first launching on the Amazon Shopping app on iOS, initially for “tens of millions” of U.S. shoppers before rolling out to others in the U.S. The company didn’t say whether it’s going to expand to other global markets.