- Apple will introduce a new AI system named "Apple Intelligence" on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
- Apple Intelligence will work mostly on-device and is expected to handle basic AI tasks.
- The new AI capabilities will be opt-in, meaning Apple won't push users to adopt them if they don't want to.
At WWDC 2024, Apple will finally unveil its long-awaited plans to deeply integrate Generative AI into its major apps and features while emphasizing its commitment to privacy and security. According to the latest report by Mark Gurman, Apple will introduce a new AI system named “Apple Intelligence” which brings a new set of AI features to iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
Apple’s AI approach will involve integrating the technology into as many apps and features as possible. We already know that rather than image and video generation technology, Apple is focusing on AI tools that can ease the daily lives of its users.
The new AI capabilities will be opt-in, meaning Apple won’t push users to adopt them if they don’t want to. That said, not all users will have access to the new AI features. As a processing requirement of AI, users must own an iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, or one of the iPhone 16 models coming later this year. If you own an older model, Apple wants you to upgrade to the latest iPhone to use iOS 18 features. If you’ve got an iPad or Mac, they will need an M1 chip at least.
Apple’s AI features will be powered by its own technology and tools from OpenAI. Also, Apple will be seen partnering with OpenAI which powers a ChatGPT-like chatbot for Apple devices.
Apple Intelligence will work mostly on-device and is expected to handle basic AI tasks. This means, Apple’s AI model is powered by the device’s onboard processor and not the cloud. At the moment, there’s no clue what would be the criteria for a basic task, but Apple Intelligence is reported to have a code that determines if a request can be processed on the device or should be passed on to Apple’s servers.
Some of the most rumored and expected new AI-related features and changes for iPhones, iPads, and Macs are:
- AI-generated notifications summaries. It can also sum up meetings notes, text messages and emails.
- Improved Safari browsing with Intelligent Search and Web Eraser tool.
- Automatic full-fleshed responses to emails and messages.
- A smarter Siri with Generative AI and per-app controls. Siri could delete an email, edit a photo or summarize a news article.
- AI-infused Xcode.
- New Text effect on individual words in messages.
- Mail app will include a Gmail-like feature that automatically categorizes incoming messages.
- AI-created emojis.
- Automatic transcription in Voice memos.
- AI-powered retouching in the Photos app.
- Intelligent Spotlight Search.
- AI tools to auto-generate slides in Keynote and faster writing in Pages.
Mark Gurman has explicitly stated that the AI features will account for about half of Apple’s WWDC keynote presentation, which starts at 10 a.m. Pacific time on June 10 and runs for around two hours. You can watch WWDC 2024 on Apple’s official YouTube channel, Apple’s website, the TV app on Apple devices, or the Apple Developer website or app.
