Apple's New AI System Will Be Called 'Apple Intelligence' [Report]

Apple's new artificial intelligence (AI) system, set to be unveiled at WWDC 2024, will be called 'Apple Intelligence', according to a new report from Bloomberg. The system will launch on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

The company will purportedly spend half its keynote presentation on debuting AI features; however, some of the most notable new software features are not AI-based, but customization improvements.

Here's a brief overview of the new enhancements Apple is expected to highlight on Monday...

AI Features

● AI Integration: Apple will integrate AI into numerous apps, focusing on practical features that ease daily tasks rather than flashy technology like image and video generation.
● Opt-in and Beta: New AI capabilities will be optional and introduced as a beta version.
● Device Requirements: Users will need an iPhone 15 Pro or newer, or iPads/Macs with at least an M1 chip, to utilize these features.
● Processing: AI features will leverage both on-device processing and cloud-based computing, using Apple's technology and OpenAI tools. The system will decide the best processing method for each task.
● Security Measures: Apple will highlight the security measures for cloud processing, including chip-based security in data centers. User profiles won't be built from customer data, and transparency reports will be generated to assure data safety.
● Summarization Features: New features in Safari, Mail, and messaging apps will allow for quick summaries of articles, web pages, meeting notes, text messages, and emails. There will also be a catch-up feature for missed notifications.
● Reply Suggestions: AI will enable iPhones to create complete responses to emails and text messages automatically.
● Siri Enhancements: Siri will get a major update, incorporating large language models for precise control over app features. Users will be able to command Siri to perform tasks like deleting emails, editing photos, or summarizing articles, with plans to expand to third-party apps and multi-command requests in the future.
● Xcode Updates: Xcode will receive AI enhancements similar to GitHub Copilot, automatically completing code for developers. This tool, currently used internally, will be available to third-party developers next year.
● Mail App Upgrade: The Mail app will feature automatic categorization of incoming messages, similar to Gmail.
● AI-Created Emojis: AI will generate custom emojis on-the-fly, offering more options than the standard emoji library.
● Voice Memos Transcription: Automatic transcription for voice memos will be added, a feature long available on Google Pixel devices and other apps.
● Photos App Enhancements: New AI capabilities will be embedded in photo editing, making it easier to enhance images or remove elements from photos.

Other Software Upgrades:

● iOS 18 (Crystal): Major home screen update allowing users to place app icons freely and customize icon colors. This is the biggest home screen upgrade in iPhone history.
● Control Center: Updated interface with rearrangeable shortcut buttons and new features such as a music widget and smart home controls.
● Settings App: Overhauled on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS for improved navigation, organization, and search functionality.
● Messages App: New effects, colorful Tapback icons, and the ability to respond with any emoji. Users will also be able to schedule messages and benefit from upcoming RCS support.
● Passwords App: A new app for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, offering an alternative to 1Password and LastPass, essentially an app version of iCloud Keychain.
● Calculator App: Revamped interface for the Calculator app, now available on iPad with round buttons.
● Calendar App: Updates include data integration from the Reminders app.
● Health App: Enhanced blood pressure data management and new hearing test features for AirPods, along with pregnancy-specific data tailoring.
● watchOS 11 (Moonstone): Updated Siri interface and significant changes to key apps like Fitness.
● macOS 15 (Glow): Safari updates, but no new ad blocker due to potential privacy-related backlash.
● New Wallpapers: New wallpaper packs for all devices, including nostalgic Mac references.
● visionOS 2 (Constellation): Incremental updates for Vision Pro with new environments, the Passwords app, and Vision Pro versions of iPad software.

Unfortunately, Bloomberg is predicting no new hardware announcements at WWDC this year. This means that users will likely need to wait until fall for an M4 upgrade to MacBook and perhaps until 2025 for an M4 upgrade to Mac Pro and Mac Studio.

The WWDC 2024 keynote will take place Monday at 10am PDT. Please download the iClarified app or follow iClarified on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and RSS for full coverage!