While wrapping up its WWDC Keynote, Apple announced its first major foray into generative AI: Apple Intelligence. The company says the undertaking will put generative models at the core of iPhone, iPad, and Mac, while also keeping its core values, like user privacy, at the forefront. Intelligence will touch virtually every aspect of its platforms, including notifications, messaging and email, photos, and much more.
A quick note from CEO Tim Cook:
“We’re thrilled to introduce a new chapter in Apple innovation. Apple Intelligence will transform what users can do with our products — and what our products can do for our users,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Our unique approach combines generative AI with a user’s personal context to deliver truly helpful intelligence. And it can access that information in a completely private and secure way to help users do the things that matter most to them. This is AI as only Apple can deliver it, and we can’t wait for users to experience what it can do.”
Writing Tools
Apple Intelligence introduces innovative features to help users improve their writing and communicate more effectively. With the new systemwide Writing Tools in iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, users can rewrite, proofread, and summarize text across a variety of applications, including Mail, Notes, Pages, and third-party apps.
- Rewrite: Allows users to select from different versions of their text, adjusting the tone to fit the audience and purpose. Perfect for refining a cover letter or adding humor and creativity to a party invitation.
- Proofread: Enhances writing by checking grammar, word choice, and sentence structure. Suggests edits with explanations for users to review or quickly accept.
- Summarize: Condenses text into a digestible paragraph, key bullet points, a table, or a list.
- Mail Priority Messages: A new section at the top of the inbox highlights the most urgent emails, such as same-day dinner invitations or boarding passes.
- Mail Summaries: Users can see summaries of emails without needing to open each message, instead of just previewing the first few lines.
- Long Thread Details: Users can view pertinent details of long email threads with a single tap.
- Smart Reply: Provides suggestions for quick responses and identifies questions in emails to ensure all are answered.
- Priority Notifications: Appear at the top of the stack to highlight the most important alerts.
- Notifications Summaries: Help users scan long or stacked notifications by showing key details on the Lock Screen, such as during active group chats.
- Reduce Interruptions: A new Focus mode that surfaces only critical notifications, such as a text about an early pickup from daycare, to help users stay present in their activities.
- New transcription feature: In the Notes and Phone apps, users can now record, transcribe, and summarize audio. When a recording is initiated while on a call, participants are automatically notified, and once the call ends, Apple Intelligence generates a summary to help recall key points.
Image Playground
Apple Intelligence also introduces Image Playground, enabling users to create images quickly and easily. With three styles—Animation, Illustration, and Sketch—users can generate fun images directly within apps like Messages or in a dedicated app. Images are created on-device, allowing unlimited experimentation with different concepts and styles.
- Range of Concepts: Users can choose from categories like themes, costumes, accessories, and places to create images.
- Description Input: Type a description to define an image.
- Personal Photo Integration: Include someone from their personal photo library in the image.
- Style Selection: Pick their favorite style for the image.
- Messages Integration: Quickly create fun images for friends and see personalized suggested concepts related to conversations, such as hiking-related concepts if messaging about a hiking trip.
- Notes Integration: Access Image Playground through the new Image Wand in the Apple Pencil tool palette, turn rough sketches into delightful images, and create images using context from the surrounding area.
- Other App Integrations: Available in Keynote, Freeform, and Pages.
- Third-Party App Support: Accessible in third-party apps that adopt the new Image Playground API.
- Genmoji – Users can create unique emoji by typing a description or using photos of friends and family. These customizable Genmoji can be added inline to messages or shared as stickers or reactions through Tapback.
Photos
Searching for photos and videos becomes even more convenient with Apple Intelligence, allowing natural language queries like “Maya skateboarding in a tie-dye shirt” or “Katie with stickers on her face.” Videos can also be searched for specific moments, and the Clean Up tool removes distracting background objects without altering the subject. Memories lets users craft personalized stories by typing descriptions, with Apple Intelligence selecting the best media, organizing them into themed chapters, and suggesting matching songs from Apple Music—all while keeping user content private.
- Natural Language Photo and Video Search: Users can search for specific photos and videos using natural language queries.
- Powerful Video Search: Find specific moments in videos for easy access to relevant segments.
- Clean Up Tool: Identifies and removes distracting objects in the background of photos without altering the subject.
- Memories Feature: Users can create personalized stories by typing descriptions, with Apple Intelligence organizing media into themed chapters and suggesting matching songs from Apple Music.
- Privacy: User photos and videos remain private on device and are not shared with Apple or any third parties.
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