Apple partners with OpenAI, unveils ‘Apple Intelligence’
Apple announced a leap in its artificial intelligence strategy on Monday by unveiling “Apple Intelligence,” a suite of AI features integrated into its devices and a partnership with OpenAI. This strategic move aims to position Apple competitively against tech giants Microsoft and Google, which have aggressively advanced in the AI domain.
In a bid to enhance user experience, Apple has collaborated with OpenAI, the innovator behind ChatGPT. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership, announcing that ChatGPT will be integrated into Apple devices later this year. This collaboration marks a significant step for Apple, integrating powerful generative AI capabilities directly into its ecosystem.
Enhancements to iOS 18 and privacy focus
The AI features will be incorporated into iOS 18, Apple’s latest operating system, unveiled at the Worldwide Developers Conference in Cupertino, California. Apple executives emphasised that privacy safeguards are a core component of Apple Intelligence, ensuring that the AI enhancements to Siri and other products do not compromise user data. Craig Federighi, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, highlighted that the system draws on personal context to provide relevant intelligence while maintaining privacy.
Apple Intelligence introduces several new functionalities, including the ability to create custom emojis based on everyday language descriptions and generate summaries of emails. Siri, Apple’s voice assistant, will receive a significant upgrade, appearing as a pulsating light on the home screen and offering enhanced AI capabilities. This upgrade aims to revitalise Siri, which has struggled to keep pace with newer digital assistants like OpenAI’s GPT-4o.
Controversy and market reaction
Despite the ambitious AI announcements, not all feedback has been positive. Elon Musk criticised the partnership, citing concerns about data security and threatening to ban iPhones at his companies. Additionally, Apple‘s share price fell nearly two percent by the close of trading on Monday, indicating mixed reactions from Wall Street.
AI-powered user experiences
Apple Intelligence will be available on a range of iPhones, iPads, and Macs, further integrating AI into the Apple product ecosystem. The new software will introduce features such as a customisable home screen, app-specific controls via Siri, and new email categorisation options like those in Google’s Gmail. Additionally, Apple’s mixed-reality headset Vision Pro will expand to eight more countries, featuring new machine-learning capabilities.
Apple has emphasised the integration of AI with privacy at its core, using a combination of on-device processing and cloud computing. The company plans to use its chips to power these AI features and has introduced “Private Cloud Compute” to protect user privacy while utilising server-based models. This focus on privacy distinguishes Apple from its AI rivals, who primarily target enterprise solutions.
