Apple introduced a collection of new artificial intelligence tools on Monday, signaling a cautious but deliberate step into AI integration.
These updates, revealed during its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, emphasize practical improvements designed to enhance daily smartphone and computer use rather than sweeping, futuristic AI innovations that competitors have been touting.
Instead of making grand claims, Apple concentrated on enhancements like real-time phone call translations and AI-powered recommendations, showing a preference for subtle utility over flashy ambition.
Notably, the company addressed its previous delays in bringing AI to Siri by offering a restrained preview of features aimed at streamlining everyday tasks, such as locating a jacket similar to one spotted online.
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A Strategy Focused Behind the Scenes
A major shift this year lies in Apple’s strategy of opening access to its AI tools for developers.
Similar to a move made by Microsoft last month, Apple software chief Craig Federighi explained, “We’re opening up access for any app to tap directly into the on-device, large language model at the core of Apple.”
This means that developers can integrate Apple’s foundational AI model into their applications, broadening its ecosystem while maintaining control over data privacy.
As an example of this collaborative approach, Apple’s Image Playground app now incorporates image generation via OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Importantly, the company assured users that their data would remain private unless they choose to share it.
“You could see Apple’s priority is what they’re doing on the back-end, instead of what they’re doing at the front-end, which most people don’t really care about yet,” observed Ben Bajarin, CEO of Creative Strategies.
The event arrived amid growing technical hurdles and regulatory pressures for Apple. Its stock, steady before the conference, dipped by 1.2% afterward.
Thomas Monteiro, senior analyst at Investing.com, remarked, “In a moment in which the market questions Apple’s ability to take any sort of lead in the AI space, the announced features felt incremental at best.” He added that, compared to rivals, Apple appears to be losing ground.
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New Features and a Fresh Look for Apple Devices
Beyond AI, Apple revealed a notable redesign for its operating systems, embracing a “liquid glass” theme with semi-transparent icons and menus. Federighi noted this visual update was possible thanks to the enhanced performance of Apple’s custom chips.
Additionally, the company will replace sequential OS version numbers with year-based titles to simplify its naming conventions.
Among other new tools, Apple debuted “Call Screening,” where iPhones automatically answer unknown calls, ask for the reason, and provide a live transcription before notifying the user.
Live phone call translations and expanded AI-powered product searches through its Visual Intelligence app, capable of identifying and finding similar items seen online, also joined Apple’s list of enhancements.
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