Apple used its annual World Wide Developers Conference in Cupertino, California, to announce a new push into generative artificial intelligence aimed at making everyday features on iPhone, iPad and Mac more capable. The company unveiled “Apple Intelligence” as part of upcoming free software updates later this year, positioning the changes as what it called “personal intelligence.”
As Apple tried to put its own mark on technology’s fast-moving AI boom, it also signaled it was still playing catch-up with companies including Microsoft and Google. The company said it will rely on ChatGPT from OpenAI to improve Siri, which it presented as gaining a redesigned, more capable assistant experience.
Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, told reporters that “All of this goes beyond artificial intelligence, it’s personal intelligence, and it is the next big step for Apple.” Apple said Siri’s ChatGPT gateway will be available to iPhone users, and it described a subscription model in which ChatGPT subscribers can sync their accounts and receive more advanced features than free users.
To spotlight the partnership, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman attended the conference and sat in the front row, with the conference drawing developers from more than 60 countries. Altman said in a statement that “Together with Apple, we’re making it easier for people to benefit from what AI can offer.”
Apple said the updates will broaden what Siri can do, including by adding an AI presence in the interface. When Apple releases the free updates to the software powering its devices later this year, the company said Siri will signal its presence with flashing lights along the edges of the display screen.
The company also said the AI system will only work fully on more recent device models because they require more advanced processors. Apple gave examples including that consumers will need last year’s iPhone 15 Pro or the next iPhone model coming out later this year for full benefit, while the company said the tools will work on Macs dating back to 2020 after the devices install the next operating system.
Among the creative features Apple previewed was an ability to generate emojis on the fly, which the company called “Genmojis.” Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, told reporters that Apple’s goal with AI “is not to replace users, but empower them,” and Apple said users will have options in device settings to turn off AI tools they do not want.
Apple also used the same conference to confirm changes to its iMessage experience, including the rollout of Rich Communications Service, or RCS. The company said RCS should improve the quality and security of texting between iPhones and Android-powered devices such as Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel models, while adding that the familiar blue-vs.-green message bubble distinction would remain.
Another messaging update Apple previewed would let users write text in advance—or have an AI tool compose it—and schedule a specific time for it to automatically send. Apple also previewed its broader strategy of introducing newer technologies at WWDC, as it has done previously with launches such as its Vision Pro headset, which Apple previewed a year before it became available.
Apple’s presentation placed privacy controls at the center of its AI pitch, acknowledging that adding more AI could raise concerns. The company told audiences it is building protections and controls around its AI technology, including by handling many AI features on the device instead of sending processing to remote data centers “often called ‘the cloud.’” Apple said that when users make demands requiring computing power beyond what is available on-device, tasks will be handled by a “private cloud” intended to shield personal data.
Federighi said Apple’s AI “will be aware of your personal data without collecting your personal data,” in describing how the company expects to manage user information while expanding AI functionality on consumer devices.