Apple has entered the race to bring generative artificial intelligence (AI) to the masses, unveiling a range of features designed to enhance the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
The company is branding its AI technology as “Apple Intelligence,” which will be available through free software updates later this year.
Despite being known for its innovative products, Apple has acknowledged that it needs help catching up with companies like Microsoft and Google, which have emerged as early leaders in AI. To bridge this gap, Apple is partnering with ChatGPT, developed by the San Francisco startup OpenAI, to make its virtual assistant Siri smarter and more helpful.
Siri, which currently fields about 1.5 billion queries a day, is set to receive an extensive makeover to become more personable and versatile. With the upcoming software updates, Siri will be able to handle hundreds of additional tasks, including those that may require tapping into third-party devices.
However, the full suite of Apple’s AI features will only work on more recent models of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac due to the advanced processors required. Users will need the latest iPhone models or Macs dating back to 2020 to take full advantage of the AI package.
Apple’s goal with AI is to empower users and help them get more done in less time while also providing access to creative tools. For example, users will be able to create custom emojis, called “Genmojis,” on the fly to fit the mood they want to convey.
Despite the excitement surrounding AI, Apple’s stock price dipped nearly 2% following the announcement. However, some analysts believe that Apple is taking the right path and that the presentation marked a historic day for the company.
In addition to AI, Apple also confirmed that it will be rolling out Rich Communications Service (RCS) to its iMessage app, which should improve the quality and security of texting between iPhones and Android devices.
The company also emphasized its efforts to build strong privacy protections and controls around its AI technology, with most AI-powered features being handled on the device itself to minimize data collection.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.