That wasn’t the only big announcement from Apple
APPLE has revealed major artificial intelligence upgrades coming to its biggest products – including iPhone.
The tech giant showed off new AI tricks as part of a new feature called Apple Intelligence, including major improvements to Siri (now 13 years old) and built-in ChatGPT.
It includes the option to use a re-designed Siri that’s more natural to use, knows more about what you’re doing on your phone, and can interact with apps like never before.
And Siri can now tap into ChatGPT to provide you answers to your questions.
Apple’s move gives rivals Google and Microsoft – both of which have their own AI chatbots – more competition.
Siri can now prioritize your notifications for you based on your habits.
And it can proof-read and summarize things you’ve written.
You can use it to create totally original images using Apple Intelligence – and they can be personalized for your conversations.
For instance, wishing someone a happy birthday lets you create a photo of the person surrounded by balloons.
It’ll also understand the context of things inside your apps and phones – like understanding when a meeting is being rescheduled in your emails, and how that relates to other things you have planned.
Apple says that the system is private, with on-device processing for many features – with a new system called Private Cloud Compute to protect anything that does need to be sent to the cloud.
If something needs to be processed more powerfully than your iPhone can handle, it’ll be sent to the cloud using the Private Cloud Compute – and is only used for that specific request.
“It protects your privacy at every step,” noted Apple’s Craig Federighi.
Siri will speak to you in a more natural way (and understand your pauses).
And you’ll be able to type to Siri too.
The new Siri will be able to answer questions about your iPhone, including helping you when you get stuck.
And eventually it’ll be able to even understand things that you’re looking at on your screen.
For instance, you’ll be able to ask Siri to save an address that a friend has sent you – and it’ll add it right to their contact card.
Siri will also understand your personal context, like your messages, notes, photos, and link, and help you find things you can’t remember where you saved.
For instance, you can ask it to find a photo of your driver’s licence if you’ve stored it somewhere on your device.
And it can even let you search for specific moments inside videos that you’ve saved.
Apple Intelligence can even change the tone of your email to make it seem more professional or friendly.
Your iPhone will now automatically create and suggest custom emoji based on what you’re typing: it’s called Genmoji.
The iPhone already suggests existing emoji if you type the correct words – but this will invent brand-new, never-before-seen icons for you.
You can also instantly create fun animations or illustrations inside Messages using AI to share with pals.
You can start recordings in live calls – and have the chats transcribed – and it’ll notify the other person automatically.
BIG EVENT
The announce came at Apple’s WWDC event at the company’s HQ in Cupertino, California.
Apple typically uses the event to showcase exciting new features coming to your existing products.
For instance, Apple showed off the new iOS 18 update for iPhone, plus shared visionOS upgrades – as well as an Apple Vision Pro UK release date.
There’s a new satellite-powered trick to help you get by when you’ve got bad signal.
And in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, Apple revealed a big upgrade that makes it easier for iPhone and Android users to text each other.