Apple introduced new features powered by artificial intelligence in several of its key products on Monday, marking its entry into the AI race. The company unveiled these features at the Worldwide Developers Conference in Cupertino, California.
The new version of Apple’s operating system will offer customizable tools using generative AI for iPhones, Macs, and iPads. These tools will improve or summarize text, and enhance photos with extra elements.
Apple CEO Tim Cook described this AI capability, called Apple Intelligence, as the “next big step for Apple.” The advancement is the result of a partnership between Apple and OpenAI, the company behind the ChatGPT text bot.
The updated Siri will use generative chat technology to better understand language and remember context from previous requests. It will also be able to engage in longer conversations and assist with complex tasks, going beyond its previous functionality as a hands-free tool for specific prompts like weather updates or calendar events.
Apple, the world’s second-largest company by market capitalization, has been behind its competitors in AI development. OpenAI, which has a partnership with Microsoft, provides ChatGPT for Bing search. Google also has its own AI model called Bard for search result summaries.
According to Dan Ives, a managing director at Wedbush, the announcement is a crucial decision for Apple and Cook, as the company faces slowing sales of its main products like smartphones and iPads. Apple has been relying on updates to its existing products while working on new ones like the Apple Vision Pro mixed reality headset, which analysts say is targeted at a higher price range starting at $3,499.