During the launch of the latest iPad Pro and iPad Air, Apple subtly hinted at an upcoming AI overhaul, which will be unveiled next month at the WWDC 2024 developers conference. iOS 18 is dubbed as the biggest software update Apple has released since the first iteration of iOS, and this time, it is said to be supercharged with generative AI features.
Some of the generative AI experiences available on Android smartphones require cloud infrastructure. Unlike that, Apple is said to be opting for on-device AI capabilities, as the latest generations of iPhones, iPads, and Macs are already equipped with chips with dedicated neural processors, capable of handling on-device AI workload.
Here is everything we have learned so far about the AI features Apple is like to offer with the iOS 18 update this fall:
An in-house AI strategy
According to the latest report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is going all-in on in-house AI technologies with its own cloud infrastructure. Most of the upcoming AI experiences will be processed on-device for lower latency and added privacy. The report also suggested that, while Apple isn’t building its own generative AI chatbot like ChatGPT or Geminiit could be partnering with Google/OpenAI to cater to the user demand. Hence, the experience of an AI chatbot on an iPhone is speculated to be quite similar to the existing third-party solutions.
AI overhaul of first-party iPhone apps
According to the same report, this year, there will be very visible traces of generative AI-backed features across the first-party apps on iPhones such as Siri, Photos, Apple Music, Note and more. The company is also said to have developed its own model for these tasks, which is said to be more efficient and accurate compared to the openly available models.
The Notes app is likely to gain generative suggest and edit capabilities, where the app will be able to correct spellings, grammar, and also suggest certain changes to make it sound better. These services are likely to be powered by an on-device large language model (LLM).
Similarly, the Photos app is also likely to receive Galaxy AI-like capabilities, where users will be able to remove/add a background using generative AI. Apple could also introduce AI-backed video editing features with the iOS 18 update, according to an earlier report by Bloomberg.
Siri is also said to get an AI overhaul, making it even more capable. The Apple Music app is also said to get AI capability, where it will be able to offer services like auto-generated playlists and more.
There is also a possibility that Apple could limit some of the features to the iPhone Pro series, as they pack more powerful chips, capable of handling AI workload in a more efficient way, compared to the entry-level models.
Similarly, for iPad and Mac, Apple is likely to add AI capabilities to its productivity suite like Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. Apple will officially showcase these features on June 10, at WWDC 2024, and be made available on the new iPhones in September.
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First uploaded on: 12-05-2024 at 18:00 IST
