While Apple made waves with its recent announcement of Apple Intelligence and ChatGPT integration across its platforms, the tech giant may have even bigger AI plans brewing. In a surprising revelation during a post-keynote session, Apple's Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, hinted at the possibility of incorporating Google's Gemini AI model in the future.
When discussing the company's vision for third-party AI integration, Federighi emphasised the desire to empower users with choice. After mentioning ChatGPT as a prime example, he teased the potential for domain-specific AI models, adding, “We want to enable users ultimately to choose the models they want, maybe Google Gemini in the future. Nothing to announce right now.”
This statement suggests that Apple is open to exploring partnerships beyond ChatGPT and sees value in Google's powerful and versatile AI technology.
Apple Intelligence
Apple introduced Apple Intelligence, a personal intelligence system for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. This system seamlessly blends the power of generative AI with personal context to deliver incredibly helpful and relevant intelligence. Deeply integrated into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, Apple Intelligence leverages Apple silicon's capabilities to understand and generate language and images, streamline tasks across apps, and draw from personal context to simplify daily routines.
"We're thrilled to introduce a new chapter in Apple innovation. Apple Intelligence will transform what users can do with our products — and what our products can do for our users,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Our unique approach combines generative AI with a user’s personal context to deliver truly helpful intelligence. And it can access that information in a completely private and secure way to help users do the things that matter most to them. This is AI as only Apple can deliver it, and we can’t wait for users to experience what it can do.”
Redefining Language Understanding and Creation
Apple Intelligence introduces a suite of brand-new systemwide Writing Tools built into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. These tools empower users to rewrite, proofread, and summarise text seamlessly in various apps, including Mail, Notes, Pages, and third-party apps. Whether refining class notes, perfecting a blog post, or crafting the perfect email, Writing Tools provide users with newfound confidence in their writing abilities.
Image Playground
Image Playground, powered by Apple Intelligence, unlocks exciting image creation capabilities. Users can create captivating images within seconds, choosing from three distinct styles: Animation, Illustration, or Sketch. Image Playground integrates seamlessly into apps like Messages, offering personalised concept suggestions based on conversations.
A New Era for Siri
Siri gets a significant upgrade with Apple Intelligence, becoming more deeply integrated into the system experience. Enhanced language understanding capabilities allow for a more natural, contextually relevant, and personalised interaction. Siri can now follow along with stumbles in speech, maintain context across requests, and even accept typed input.
A New Standard for Privacy in AI
Apple Intelligence prioritises user privacy. On-device processing ensures that many models operate entirely on the device itself. For more complex requests, Private Cloud Compute extends Apple's privacy and security standards to the cloud.
ChatGPT Integration for Enhanced Productivity
Apple is integrating ChatGPT access across iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. Users can now tap into ChatGPT's expertise and its image and document understanding capabilities without leaving their current workflow.
Availability
Apple Intelligence will be available in beta as part of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia later this year in US English.