Apple is finally entering the AI race with its Apple Intelligence platform. The new AI suite of tools covers various functions across iOS, iPadOS and macOS. Most of these tools revolve around a revamped Siri which the company has revealed to be a smarter assistant.
Apple Intelligence is going to be a much slower rollout than we expected. The company says it will launch in beta later this year and will be limited to US English at first. However, the new AI-powered platform will integrate into the software you already use while also offering new ways to enhance your devices.
Apple says this AI platform will all be processed on-device so everything you do is private. If something needs to be shared with ChatGPT, the OS will ask permission for every single photo and piece of data it will send.
Apple Intelligence makes use of a “semantic index” which Apple says learns who you are, how you type, your likes and more. It will grab personal details about you when needed and provide the information back to you in tailored responses.
First off, Siri is now an AI assistant. Users will be able to speak to Siri in a much more natural way across iOS 18. You’ll also be able to type requests to Siri to get things done. Siri can perform certain tasks for you such as setting up text messages, understanding the context of emails and understanding what you’re asking from it.
Apple shared some examples of Siri on iOS 18. The company asked Siri to find a certain photo of a certain person wearing a certain jacket. Siri searched the Photos App and found it. They then asked to “make the photo pop”. Siri then automatically adjusted the photo by editing it.
Siri can also search your photos for specific details such as ID documents, locations objects and more. It can then take certain information from photos and place it in forms.
Apart from searching photos, Apple Intelligence will also be able to edit photos by removing objects from the background. This is quite a common AI feature but still nice to see.
The new Apple Image Generation will now let users create any images they want by throwing certain words into the platform. The AI tools will then work their magic and generate images. For example, Cat, Chef and Pizza would make a chef cat making pizza.
There’s also what Apple is calling “Genmoji” which are generative emojis you can create on the fly. These aren’t full-scale images. Instead, icons are similar to the built-in emoji on iOS.
Outside of iOS 18, Apple Intelligence will enhance Notes and Mail by providing writing styles when taking notes or replying to emails. You can even turn an email reply into a poem (if you’re into that). All of these writing tools are powered by ChatGPT and will work system-wide.
An example Apple showed off included a deck. The user asked, “what flowers would look nice on this deck?”. The request was sent to CatGPT (after asking for approval) and the response fed back the exact flowers and plants that would work in those lighting and sun conditions.
All Apple Intelligence content is completely optional. You can decide to opt in or out of using these features at any time. If you decide to use them, you’ll then be able to access Siri and its features at any time.
Apple has confirmed that all AL features are only available on the A17 Pro and “M” chips. So you’ll need an iPhone 15 Pro and an M-powered Mac or iPad to use them.
Apple has also detailed iOS 18. Catch up on the news here. Keep in mind that Apple Intelligence isn’t launching with the iOS 18 beta. The AI tools will only be launched later this year in beta.
