While we wait for the official release of Apple Intelligence, outside of the betas, the company has made public the first image generated through Image Playground. We have already seen this feature of Apple Intelligence, which allows us to create images based on text descriptions, in the form of a preview during a keynote, but now we see it directly in action. The first public image of Image Playground is the one created by Craig Federighi of his dog, named Bailey, and sent to his wife to celebrate the birthday of their beloved pet.
The power of Image Playground lies in its customization
Image Playground is shaping up to be one of the most striking features of Apple’s artificial intelligence. This feature, which will officially arrive in iOS 18.2, promises to generate original illustrations in a matter of seconds, seamlessly integrating into applications such as Messages, Freeform, and Keynote. With Image Playground, we will be able to create an image from scratch based on a written description or from concepts suggested by the application itself.
The most interesting thing about this feature, however, is its customization capability: Image Playground will allow us to generate images from photos stored in Photos, adding an unprecedented level of personalization. This way, a simple photo of a puppy can be turned into an illustration. Apple Intelligence can analyze the features of the original photo, even based on the tagging of photos what our dog looks like, and generate all the necessary images accordingly.
In this specific case, it is worth clarifying that the text ‘Image generated by AI’ comes from Wired, where the original image has been published and where, due to internal policies, all generated images are labeled this way. The images generated by Apple Intelligence do not have a visible watermark, but they will include EXIF metadata indicating that they have been created with artificial intelligence, a similar measure to the one implemented in the new ‘Clean Up’ tool of the Photos app.
Beyond this, Apple has focused on three styles of image (animation, illustration, and sketch) that move away from photorealism. With this, the same tool prevents images from being used to distribute false information.
According to Bloomberg, Apple will release the Image Playground feature along with the Genmoji feature in the iOS 18.2 update, scheduled for December of this 2024. With the release of the first image generated by Image Playground, Apple makes it clear that the future of visual content creation will be easier, interactive, and more fun than ever. The little dog Bailey, with his party hat, is just the beginning of what is to come.
