Current rumors have held that Apple will probably be permitting chatbots to combine extra deeply into its working techniques, and plainly OpenAI is getting the primary crack at that with ChatGPT. However Apple continues to be engaged on an settlement with Google to do the identical with Gemini, in accordance with Gurman. It’s additionally been rumored to be speaking to Anthropic. (These talks began earlier than OpenAI’s ongoing Scarlett Johansson dust-up, however they underscore why Apple would possibly need a couple of iPhone chatbot deal.) Outdoors of no matter these potential partnerships will imply, Apple’s method to AI will apparently give attention to being sensible.
One massive, noticeable enchancment Apple will reportedly announce could possibly be a “good recap” characteristic that Gurman mentions. This can apparently summarize missed texts, notifications, and different issues like “internet pages, information articles, paperwork, notes and different types of media.” That may be notably good on the subject of coping with iOS notifications, which will be overwhelming and troublesome to tame. And for those who squint, it vaguely echoes Microsoft’s recently-announced Recall characteristic that tracks what you do in your laptop utilizing AI and basically makes your actions searchable.
The Voice Memo app might additionally get a giant enhance in AI-generated transcripts, Gurman writes. Selfishly, that will probably be key for referring to interview recordings, nevertheless it is also helpful for, say, college students recording their classes for later reference. Apple units have related options already, like auto-generated voicemail transcripts and system-wide captions for movies, audio, and conversations.
The corporate additionally reportedly plans to announce AI-powered enhancements to on-device Highlight search, web searches with Safari, in addition to writing options for emails and texts. And the corporate may use AI to retouch pictures and generate emoji on the fly, primarily based on what you’re texting — a sort of characteristic that appears to persistently result in bother for these firms. (See Meta’s gun-toting Waluigi AI stickers or Google’s inappropriately racially numerous nazi photos.)
Apple might showcase a greater, extra natural-sounding voice for Siri, primarily based on Apple’s personal giant language fashions, in addition to higher Siri performance on the Apple Watch. The place it might, Apple’s units will do all of these items regionally, however for classy duties, they’ll offload processing to Apple’s personal M2 Extremely-based servers, Gurman writes. Typically, he says units “launched within the final yr or so” will acquire many of the new on-device AI options.
Other than AI options, the corporate might announce an iOS 18 characteristic to let customers change their app icons to completely different colours, in accordance with Gurman. One thing related is feasible now, utilizing the iOS Shortcuts app, however I’d certain welcome a extra simple technique. That’s along with the opposite upcoming rumored iPhone residence display change will lastly let customers put app icons wherever they’d like as an alternative of iOS forcing a top-to-bottom, left-to-right association. What’s subsequent? Customized launchers?
Replace Might twenty sixth, 2024, 11:38AM ET: Fleshed out some rumored options and added extra context.