AI in iOS 18: These apps should benefit
It won't be long now until the next iPhone operating system is unveiled. iOS 18 is particularly focused on more AI. Further details have now been leaked.
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Apple must finally react when it comes to generative AI. OpenAI, Google, Meta and co. have already shown the way, but the iPhone manufacturer still has nothing to offer in its operating systems. This is supposedly set to change in the coming months, as announced by CEO Tim Cook himself. Now there is new information about which AI features could be included in iOS 18, which is due to be presented in June 2024.
Communication with the local LLM
The news comes from insiders who spoke to AppleInsider. According to the report, Apple is relying on system-wide new AI functions similar to Siri and its own large language model called Ajax, which has been the subject of speculation since last year. It runs largely on the device itself (on-device), but could be supplemented by services such as Google's Gemini. According to the report, several standard Apple system components will receive significant AI-related improvements. Safari, Spotlight search (with better results and sorting) and Siri are the first areas.
AI features will also be added to the Messages app. This should be able to analyze incoming iMessages and even suggest answers. The Contacts and Calendar apps will reportedly also receive generative AI. When entering text, Ajax should generate several responses on the device within a few milliseconds. In Apple's test environments, these answers are sorted according to accuracy, speed and other relevant factors, according to the report.
When generating the responses, the LLM checks, for example, whether the text input contains the name of a saved contact and, if so, displays the contact's information. The software also communicates with the calendar app and takes events entered into account when creating an answer.
Siri remains, Cook is optimistic
Ajax should be able to generate at least "rudimentary text-based responses" directly on the iPhone. It is unclear how often it will still be necessary to access the cloud. Apple also seems to be banking on system-wide services such as Siri being able to outperform third-party apps, although the voice assistant is known to have a rather modest reputation.
Apple CEO Tim Cook recently emphasized at the announcement of Apple's quarterly figures that the company has "advantages that differentiate us [in AI] from other providers". The company is investing heavily and is looking forward to "sharing very exciting things with customers soon". Apple believes in the "transformative power of AI". He emphasized Apple's ecosystem, with seamless integration of hardware, software and services, including Apple Silicon SoCs and the integrated Neural Engine.
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