Is Apple Considering 'Sherlocking' Arc?

The header "Is Apple Considering 'Sherlocking' Arc?" suggests an inquiry into whether Apple is contemplating replicating or integrating features of the Arc application into its own ecosystem, a process often referred to as "Sherlocking." This practice involves a larger company introducing functionalities similar to those of a smaller, independent developer's product, potentially impacting the latter's market viability. The question prompts examination into Apple's potential motivations and implications for both Arc and the broader software development landscape. It raises concerns about innovation, competition, and the dynamics of power between tech giants and smaller innovators within the industry.

Arc Search, developed by The Browser Company, introduces innovative features such as providing summaries instead of traditional search results.

The "Browse for me" feature exemplifies the company's use of AI to revolutionize web searching.

Another feature, "pinch to summarize," offers AI-generated summaries of web pages.

These AI features may become the target of Apple's "sherlocking" strategy, where Apple adopts ideas from third-party developers.

The term "sherlocking" originated from Apple's release of a finder app named Sherlock in the late 1990s, which resembled a third-party app called Watson.

Whenever Apple introduces features or apps inspired by others, it's colloquially termed as "sherlocking."

In recent years, Apple has faced accusations of "sherlocking" various products and apps. For instance, it integrated features from Camo, an app allowing iPhone use as a webcam, into its system as Continuity Camera. Duet Display and Luna were similarly affected with the introduction of Sidecar, enabling iPad use as a second screen. 

Apple Pay Later was seen as borrowing from other Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) apps like Klarna. Additionally, features like medication tracking, period tracking, and mood logging were initially pioneered by third-party developers. With the upcoming release of iOS 18, Apple might once again draw inspiration from the app developer community, potentially affecting Arc and similar innovations.

According to Bloomberg's recent report, Apple is set to introduce "smart recaps" along with other AI-powered enhancements to core apps like Photos, Notes, and Safari. These smart recaps will deliver users with summaries of missed notifications, text messages, web pages, news articles, documents, notes, and other media. 

This move by Apple intersects with Arc's expertise in AI-driven web summarization, an area where the company excels and continues to innovate. Arc recently unveiled "Call Arc," a novel way to search the web using AI by raising the phone to one's ear and posing a question. Together with its existing "browse for me" and "pinch to summarize" features, Arc provides users with an AI-powered search companion.

Several startups, such as Particle, Bulletin, and Break the Web, have also focused on using AI to summarize news content. If Apple integrates AI-powered recaps into its Safari browser, it could reduce demand for alternative browsers or apps with similar AI capabilities. 

However, this might not significantly impact Arc's growth, as the company is exploring various avenues beyond AI summaries. Arc's development team remains undeterred by potential competition from Apple, viewing it as an opportunity to innovate further. Co-founder and CEO Josh Miller emphasizes that such challenges inspire them to be more imaginative and bold in their approach.

Source: techcrunch‍