Apple revealed the new features that will come at the software level to the varied range of products it has, including cell phones, computers, smart watches, streaming services, etc. In a dizzying presentation within the framework of WWDC 2024, its event for developers, the apple firm showed the multiple improvements that there will be in terms of the operating system and, as long expected, in artificial intelligence.
WWDC is an event dedicated to developers in the Apple ecosystem, which takes place all this week. The main conference, with information relevant to the general public, took place on Monday.
The apple firm, very secretive regarding the content of its presentations, had given small glimpses of really important changes that would come to its devices, mainly focused on artificial intelligence (AI).
Since generative AI burst into the technology industry almost two years ago, especially with the arrival of ChatGPT, OpenAI’s conversational chatbot, The most important companies in the sector have adapted and included functions of this type in their products. So we have companies like Google or Samsung have presented their latest cell phone models with generative artificial intelligence tools.
Apple had been left somewhat behind. While it is true that the apple firm usually advances at its own pace without necessarily following market trends, this time it could not simply ignore it.
At Monday’s conference, after almost an hour of announcements about the news of iOS 18 and the company’s other operating systems, Tim Cook, CEO of the firm, finally confirmed the arrival of generative AI to the company’s products , functions that were presented under the title of ‘Apple Intelligence’.
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There are several new functions and, honestly, most of them have already been seen in competing models, but it was time for Apple to consider them. It’s disappointing? Every time a company of Apple’s caliber makes a presentation of this type, expectations and spirits are raised to the maximum, since some revolutionary invention is expected, a novelty that breaks the mold. This, however, does not usually happen that often. Although there are disruptive technologies that can change the world, most advances are progressive and occur little by little. This is precisely the line that the American company has followed.
This does not mean, however, that the advances that Apple presented are without merit, on the contrary, and very much in its style, They mark the path that awaits the mobile industry.
Tim Cook’s big bet is to develop a personal artificial intelligence system. This means that with the information that, for example, your iPhone has about you, thanks to your messages, emails, photos, notes, etc., the device can help manage your life. With this, the cell phone will have a clearer idea of how to help you.
The idea is that your device helps you remember dates, scheduled activities, among many other things, even without you having to ask it. Imagine talking to a friend and agreeing to meet them that day in the afternoon, the team could notify you if you have a doctor’s appointment scheduled at that time, even without you needing to consult them. This is just one possibility of what could happen later with this type of technology. That’s what the company is aiming for.
And to do so, he uses, as it could not be otherwise, his personal assistant, Siri, who has even updated his logo. Apple is betting on giving you control of its systems. After 13 years, Siri is really starting to become a protagonist. The virtual assistant has been enhanced and now uses much more fluid language and begins to look more like a real real-life assistant, who will search the information on your cell phone, computer or tablet to give you an answer that suits you. you.
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We now find that if the user forgets the name of an app, Siri can identify it through a description of its function. Apple has announced that it is now possible to communicate with Siri in writing and switch between text and voice depending on the user’s needs, all without compromising privacy.
Siri’s ability to find specific information when you don’t remember how you received it has also been improved. For example, you can ask to play a podcast received from another user, and Siri will locate it without having to access the message or email where it is located. Additionally, the assistant can “understand and act” based on the content of the screen, such as saving an address sent by a contact to the user’s contact card by simply saying “add that address to your contact card.”
And as if this were not enough, Apple has an alliance with OpenAI, just like Microsoft did last year. Later this year, Apple will allow Siri to access GPT-4o, OpenAI’s most advanced language, to answer user questions. In this way, ChatGPT will be available for free and without the need for an account for Apple users.
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The company has been emphatic in clarifying that Siri works thanks to its technological support and that, if the user requests it, they will be able to access ChatGPT information, but it is not that the voice assistant is based on OpenAI technology.
Apple has also said that In no case will your clients’ information be saved in the cloud, preventing them from being exposed to theft or leaks. The processes will be worked from the same team.
In addition to these tools that will arrive in iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia, there will also be others such as the possibility of compiling memories into a video. To do this, the AI chooses the most significant moments and allows us to add music to them. There is also a tool called Clean Up that allows us to remove unwanted elements from our photos. This is a feature similar to what we have seen with the Android Magic Eraser.
The bad news about all this is that these artificial intelligence functions They will only be available from A17 processors. This means that they will only be updated from the iPhone 15 Pro and devices that come out onwards. The same on Mac, you must have an M1 chip or higher.
As we see, the technology company is not simply implementing functions that its main competitors already use, it is also aimed at turning its devices into true personal assistants in charge of helping the user in a particular way according to their needs, thus marking the route which the industry will most likely follow.
Apple doesn’t have the easy way out either. More and more companies like Google or Samsung are hot on its heels and, probably, in many aspects they already surpass it. Let’s hope that the result of all this will always be better services for the benefit of users.