Apple has finally started rolling out AI-powered updates to its suite of iOS, iPadOS and macOS devices, the company said on Monday.
Even as the world's largest consumer technology company unveils its latest updates, Apple's intelligence reviews have been disappointing.
Julian Choctaw, Wired's senior review editor, says the AI experience is “very flat as it is now.”
Ina Fried, chief technology reporter at Axios, said the beta announcement “has me excited for the future with only modest improvements, but I'm impatient for that.”
And the New York Times sniffed that “the much-imagined AI-transformed future still seems distant.”
Oh shit. Now that it's met its self-imposed October deadline to get something AI-related out the door, Apple has plenty of time to iterate and transform the future.
Apple announced the AI features for its devices—a collaboration with OpenAI—at its annual developers conference in June.
The move follows other tech giants including Google and Microsoft earlier this year pushing AI developments into their ecosystems.
Participants in Apple's beta program were able to play with features released today for iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1 for the iPhone 15 Pro and newer models.
Update to Siri and ChatGPT integration
With the latest Apple Intelligence update, Apple Siri can switch between voice and text and help users stumble with their words, all while answering more in-depth questions.
The edge of a device's screen lights up to alert the user that Siri is listening, the company said in a statement.
Using an agreement with OpenAI, Siri can use ChatGPT for additional assistance, deeper insights and responses.
Apple announced that the GPT chatbot is available for free without requiring an account and works with apps such as writing tools and camera controls.
New writing tools
Monday's first release introduced new writing tools that look like a cross between Grammarly and Google Docs.
It allows users to rewrite, summarize, and proofread their work, as well as adjust the volume across all platforms, including Messages, Messages, Notes, Pages, and third-party apps.
Apple Photos
The Apple Photos app includes a new “cleanup” tool that lets users remove unwanted objects or people from images.
Photos now supports advanced searches using natural language, making it easier to find specific photos by specifying them.
Prioritize emails
The 18.1 update introduces new notification summaries and “priority messages” in Mail, which make it easier to manage emails, show summaries without opening emails, and show more urgent emails like one-day invitations.
Mail includes a “Smart Reply” feature that suggests quick responses to emails.
Copy notes
Similar to transcription software like Otter.ai, Apple users can now transcribe and summarize phone calls made on the user's devices.
Unlike Otter, Apple transcribes calls in real time while the call is in progress. According to Apple, participants in the call will be notified immediately that the recording is taking place.
Focus on privacy
While the idea of phone calls being recorded and transcribed may give some users pause, Apple says that with its “private cloud computing” feature, user data is never stored or shared with Apple.
Although ChatGPT is included in Apple Intelligence, the Cupertino, California-based firm says user data such as IP addresses is hidden and OpenAI does not store requests made to ChatGPT.
“Designed to protect users' privacy at every level, Apple Intelligence uses on-device processing, which means it's completely on-device than most models.”
Its AI release is currently available in US English, with localized English versions for Australia, Canada, South Africa and the UK launching in December.
Apple plans an update to support languages such as Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish in April 2025.
Edited by Josh Quittner and Sebastian Sinclair
Generally intelligent newspaper
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