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The AI platform coming to the iPad, iPhone, and Mac this year is called “Apple Intelligence,” according to?Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman.
While clearly a play on the AI wording, the naming scheme would reflect Apple’s plans to combine its own technology with OpenAI’s models. It’s said to use an algorithm to determine whether tasks are handled on-device or remotely, and expected to focus more on privacy. It won’t involve data-based user profiles, for instance.
Apple Intelligence is also believed to be focused more on practical tasks than the content creation typically associated with ChatGPT and other generative AI models. Siri might let you control specific app functions and conduct more natural interactions. You could get summaries of notifications, messages, and websites. Photo editing, web searches, and even custom emojis might rely on more advanced AI.
The features are reportedly opt-in, but you’ll need a reasonably powerful device to handle them properly. The new AI is said to require at least an M1 chip on the iPad and Mac, and may demand an iPhone 15 Pro or newer on mobile. That would rule out the existing base iPad and iPad mini, as well as the regular iPhone 15.
Apple is poised to introduce Intelligence in iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS 15 at WWDC 2024 on June 10th. While beta software might be available soon after the keynote, finished versions aren’t likely until the fall.
The seemingly sudden push is believed to be the result of an epiphany at Apple about the usefulness of AI. The Wall Street Journal sources claimed that senior software VP Craig Federighi became a “convert” to AI after trying GitHub’s Copilot coding tool. He wanted it integrated across Apple products, and some team members from the cancelled EV project reportedly switched to AI-related development.
Apple has lagged behind in AI assistance. While it broke new ground by introducing the Siri voice assistant alongside the iPhone 4S in 2011, that helper has only gradually evolved in the years since. Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant can handle a wider range of queries. And while generative AIs are still young, Google has been rushing to integrate Gemini with Android while Microsoft folds Copilot into Windows. Intelligence could help Apple catch up to its competitors.
