Apple Introduces 'Apple Intelligence': Your iPhone and Mac Just Got Smarter! Here's How

Apple announced "Apple Intelligence" during WWDC 2024, marking the introduction of a comprehensive set of AI features for its iPhone, Mac, and other devices.

Previously hesitant to use the term "artificial intelligence" in discussing its machine learning capabilities, Apple now boasts AI enhancements integrated across its platforms. Despite trailing behind pioneers like Google and Microsoft, who swiftly embraced generative AI features following OpenAI's advancements in 2022, Apple is now endeavoring to bridge the gap.

Apple Intelligence is designed to take proactive actions within apps, according to Apple. These AI capabilities encompass managing notifications, generating content automatically, and summarizing text across various applications, including email. Additionally, Apple claims its AI can seamlessly reference one app to execute tasks in another, like playing a podcast shared by a friend.

In line with Apple's commitment to privacy, the company emphasizes that all AI processing will occur on-device to safeguard user data. However, optimal utilization of these features will require devices equipped with an A17 Pro or M-series chip. Another aspect of the privacy narrative involves a "semantic index," facilitating the retrieval of personal information as needed, while ensuring its availability across apps.

For AI operations requiring cloud resources, Apple assures users that data will be routed to a "Private Cloud," with a guarantee that it will never be stored on servers accessible by Apple. The company pledges that it will not have access to this data, and its claims will be independently verified by experts.

Apple has announced that Siri will receive significant AI enhancements in iOS 18, enabling users to interact with it in a more natural manner. Additionally, users will now have the option to type commands to Siri instead of solely relying on voice input.

Furthermore, Siri's capabilities will extend to setting up scheduled text messages and intuitively understanding the context of user requests to determine which apps to utilize.

Apple highlighted a new feature called "on-screen awareness," allowing Siri to perform tasks within apps on behalf of the user. For instance, users can ask Siri to enhance a photo or send a picture they are viewing to a friend. Additionally, Siri will be able to search through photos to retrieve specific information, such as a driver's license number, and seamlessly input it into a web form, akin to existing autofill functionalities but with improved accuracy and efficiency.

Apple is introducing new features across its ecosystem, including email-writing suggestions and text summarization capabilities. Within the Mail app, users can now leverage Siri to compose messages and even adjust the tone as desired while typing. These writing features are said to be accessible system-wide, available wherever text input is possible.

Apple is introducing new image generation features, including "Genmoji," which dynamically creates emoji-like reactions when users can't find the exact one they want. Additionally, iOS 18 will include "Image Playground," allowing users to generate images within various apps and through a standalone app of the same name. Moreover, developers will have access to an API to integrate Image Playground into their own devices.

In the realm of AI, Apple is enhancing the Photos app with improved object search capabilities. Users will soon be able to search for specific actions, such as someone performing cartwheels, within their photo library. Furthermore, Apple is introducing features akin to Google's Magic Eraser, enabling users to remove unwanted elements, such as individuals, from their photos.

Apple's partnership with OpenAI is indeed real, as ChatGPT 4o is set to debut on iOS, macOS, and iPadOS later this year. Acting as a supplementary chatbot accessible through Siri, ChatGPT 4o will step in when Siri encounters tasks it can't fulfill. Notably, Apple emphasizes that user permission will be sought before activating ChatGPT 4o in such instances. While initially launching with ChatGPT 4o, Apple plans to incorporate support for additional AI models in the future.