Apple is using AI to record customer conversations in some Apple Stores

Apple is testing Live Notes in some Apple Stores, an AI-powered system that records, transcribes, and summarizes conversations between Genius Bar staff and customers.

That's according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter.

The Genius Bar is Apple's in-store technical support service staffed by certified specialists.

The transcript is added to the employee's iPad and becomes part of the repair documentation. The system is designed to eliminate manual note-taking, allowing employees to focus more on helping customers.

Both the employee and the customer must consent before a conversation is recorded. Apple says audio recordings are not stored, store managers cannot access the transcripts, and employees can edit both the transcript and the AI-generated summary before it is saved.

Even so, some employees are concerned that the transcripts could eventually be used for training or performance evaluations. Live Notes remains a pilot program, and it is unclear whether Apple plans to roll it out more broadly or change how it is used.

Gurman also says in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter that Apple is preparing to refresh its entire iPad lineup and finally put the Mac Pro to rest: