Key Takeaways
- Apple Intelligence includes potentially useful writing tools.
- Siri’s new capabilities will offer more contextually relevant responses.
- Apple emphasized privacy as a compelling driver for Apple Intelligence.
Apple is taking on artificial intelligence (AI) as a way to improve the user experience across its devices. Known as Apple Intelligence, the tech giant is leveraging Siri as well as new Large Language Models (LLM) to execute new tools across apps and experiences. With major investments being made in AI from other companies, will Apple be able to stand out?
Apple Intelligence was revealed at WWDC 2024. Expected to begin rolling out later this year, Apple’s AI platform is based around taking contextual information across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and then elevating the use of one app to another. Adding a refreshed version of Siri and a splash of ChatGPT to the mix, Apple could have a hit on its hands.
OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, and even Samsung are all in the AI race. Apple will not only have to convince its die-hard audience why Apple Intelligence matters. The company will also have to show the larger tech audience that Apple Intelligence is a platform worth the investment into the ecosystem.
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What is Apple Intelligence?
Apple aims to launch the beta in the U.S. “later this year”
Apple
Apple Intelligence is a brand-new software platform that is being integrated into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. Much like Galaxy AI, Apple Intelligence will be baked into the software and hardware of new devices. Using its in-house silicon, Apple Intelligence is said to be able to draw and use personal context to simplify everyday tasks and organization across apps. It can also understand and create languages and images, much like similar AI models.
Apple Intelligence is being broken up into a handful of major toolsets. The first is Writing Tools, built into the upcoming operating systems. Users can write, rewrite, proofread, and summarize text across Mail, Notes, Pages, and select third-party apps. Image Playground is another facet of Apple Intelligence, built into apps such as Messages. Users can choose concepts like themes, costumes, and places, add their photos from their library, and create images to share. Other AI-driven features include the creation of original Genmojis, based on the user. Apple Intelligence also supports deep levels of search and memory creation across photos and videos.
Siri’s new capabilities are made possible by way of its ability to read contextual information across apps safely and securely.
Finally, Apple Intelligence is paving the way for a revamped version of Siri. The tech company says Siri will leverage rich language-understanding capabilities to offer more contextually relevant replies and answers. The assistant should also be able to streamline tasks. Apple also claims Siri will be able to register communications between text and audio. Siri’s new capabilities are made possible by way of its ability to read contextual information across apps safely and securely.
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Making Apple Intelligence matter
To be competitive, Apple Intelligence needs to incentivize everyday uses
Apple
I’ve toyed around with AI in various ways. Largely spending time between OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Galaxy AI, I’ve gone through the process of testing what these new LLM and image creation tools can provide users. As cutting-edge and refined as these platforms are believed to be, I’ve always struggled with adopting them in my day-to-day life. This is simply because their use cases don’t align with my workflow or how I interact with my phone or PC on a regular basis.
Organically, I can also see myself using Apple’s Writing Tools in my day-to-day life. Whether it’s helping to reword an email or proofread a note or message I’ve written, I strongly believe Apple Intelligence can impact my day-to-day in this regard. Accuracy and reliability will ultimately dictate how often I lean on this AI tool, but if it can help me avoid an embarrassing misspelling in an email, sign me up.
Something I’ve struggled with is wrapping my head around AI-driven image creation. I’ve often looked at platforms like Google Gemini and Adobe’s AI Image Generator as gimmicks that speak solely to enthusiasts. As a novelty, I could see Apple’s Image Playground and Genmoji features as being new ways to express an idea or feeling in messages with friends. Unless AI-generated photos and videos are already a part of your workflow, I’m not convinced Image Playground will change that. However, purely from a social perspective, having these tools integrated into the Messages app will surely drive adoption.
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Built-in ease of access through Siri
Siri could become my go-to assistant for AI-driven task
Apple
Apple Intelligence is being integrated into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. With AI still in its early days, big tech companies have to break down every barrier to open up access. This includes built-in access. By design, users who buy into Apple’s ecosystem will have access to its AI-powered tools and features. This is a similar approach to Samsung and Google. Galaxy AI and Pixel AI (Gemini Nano) are built to be supported on certain devices. Apple’s already wise to follow in their footsteps.
Cross-app functionality, at its core, will set Siri up to be the star of the show.
Apple has the advantage of breaking down even more barriers. It all comes down to the micro-moments where a user decides to complete a task themselves or lean on AI. In comes Siri, which is already Apple’s version of an onboard assistant. What Siri needs is a fresh coat of paint and some AI capabilities to unlock its true potential. Apple already confirmed that Siri 2.0 will come with more natural language capabilities. Ideally, this will allow voice commands to be conversational and less robotic than they are on other devices. Cross-app functionality, at its core, will set Siri up to be the star of the show.
Apple’s vision of AI software that identifies contextual information within one app to use across another is a major step in streamlining my uses for AI. Picture this — your friend recommends a restaurant to go to in a couple of weeks. As the evening arrives, you’ve now lost the venue’s name in the Messages conversation thread. Using Siri’s contextual ability, you can ask for directions to the place your friend recommended. Siri can intelligently find those details in Messages and provide travel details within Maps. For me, that’s a timesaver that can be used across messages, emails, etc. Likewise, Siri may be able to recall a specific photo in your library to share in an email, saving minutes or sifting through photos and videos.
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Emphasizing privacy
Apple’s leadership in user privacy is likely to be a compelling driver for Apple Intelligence
Apple
As tech companies continue investing in AI and new tool sets pop up in our devices, privacy is quickly becoming a larger concern, especially amid the ongoing pushback against the use of user data to train AI. The Cupertino-based company assured that Apple Intelligence is “designed to protect your privacy at every step.” Part of the way Apple can accomplish this goes back to the software running directly on its devices. Unlike OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which runs solely on cloud computing, Apple Intelligence runs on servers powered by its silicon and Private Cloud Compute technology.
Apple clarified that its groundbreaking Private Cloud Compute technology ensures your data is never stored. User data is also said to only be used when requested for tasks and assistance. Powered by cryptographical software, Apple Intelligence-powered devices never talk to a server unless the software has been publicly logged for inspection. The company claims it is setting a “new standard for privacy in AI.” This very issue will become a major focus for Apple in its investments in AI. If it can quell concerns and drive home a narrative that its AI is secure, it’ll be a notable boon for adoption in the coming years.
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