In June, Apple finally unveiled its new artificial intelligence platform, Apple Intelligence. This platform takes a different approach from its competitors by prioritizing caution and a slower pace of development. We’ll soon know where Apple’s AI features will take us.
To be precise, we’ll discover it in October when the platform arrives on both iOS and macOS. Although it offers exciting new features, they’re not revolutionary. Apple is not aiming to outpace other AI options, such as ChatGPT or Midjourney. The company has other plans in mind.
Privacy as a Hallmark
Apple Intelligence’s approach with iPhones and Macs is a hybrid one. On the one hand, Apple is implementing a completely private, on-local AI system that will process everything on the device itself, without transmitting any data to the cloud. On the other, there’ll be a more powerful AI that will utilize a cloud platform when necessary.
As a result, Apple is suggesting an AI use case where users won’t typically require an Internet connection. This means they’ll be able to ask their iPhone or Mac to perform various tasks, such as:
- Writing tools: When writing emails, you can adjust the “tone” of your text to make it friendlier, more professional, or more concise. Additionally, an advanced text editor can review grammar, word choice, and sentence structure to help improve your writing. Users can also select text and ask the AI to generate a brief summary, listing the most important points.
- Genmoji: Apple’s Image Playground technology focuses on creating images, although they’re not as hyperrealistic as the creations of competitors such as Midjourney and DALL-E. Instead, you’ll be able to create emojis (Genmoji) and images with a more cartoon-like finish. With this approach, Apple aims to steer clear of controversial uses and prevent users from using the tool to create deepfakes.
- Siri: Apple’s voice assistant has been infused with Apple Intelligence. The screen will now have a special lighting effect when you use it, making your interactions feel more natural and less forced. Siri will also remember personal context by (privately and locally) indexing data on your device, such as your calendar or messages, and use that information to quickly and clearly answer your questions. For example, it can tell you when your mother’s flight is arriving. Additionally, you will now be able to interact with Siri using both voice and keyboard input.
- Photo search using AI: Apple Intelligence can recognize, tag, and index your photo library locally and “understand” the context of the photos. This allows you to search for photos with generic descriptions, like “my son skiing,” and create themed movies, such as “2024 summer trip in Canada.”
- ChatGPT: Apple Intelligence also uses chatbots like ChatGPT to complement these local functions. In some scenarios, you may choose to use ChatGPT, although this will require a connection to the cloud and may involve sharing specific data, similar to using it on a website.
This Is Just the Beginning
Craig Federighi, the head of Apple’s software division, mentioned in June that these features are just the beginning of something significant at Apple.
The company has made progress in catching up with its competitors in certain areas, but it has taken a cautious approach so far. The main focus seems to be on privacy, with an emphasis on ensuring that the AI works locally on the device whenever possible and with a limited but practical scope.
The new options will be available in English next month, and special versions for Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, South African, and UK English will also be offered in December. Additionally, Apple mentioned that Apple Intelligence will be available in Chinese, French, Japanese, and Spanish next year.
Image | Apple
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