Artificial intelligence has revolutionized technology and our interaction with it in a very clear and profound way. Just like major tech corporations compete to develop the next big innovation in this field, Apple plans to take a significant step in adopting generative AI and do it in the best way possible: by incorporating it into iOS 18.
A complete transformation thanks to AI
Jeff Pu, an analyst at Haitong International Securities with knowledge of Apple’s supply chain, revealed (via MacRumors) that the company plans to implement generative artificial intelligence technology in the iPhone and iPad by late 2024. This action plan suggests that iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 would be the first operating systems to feature generative AI capabilities, such as the rumored “Apple GPT.”
The information is based on how the supply chain is gearing up to build a few hundred AI servers in 2023 and many more during the next year. The inclusion of generative AI in iPhones and iPads is not just a matter of technological improvement but also of ethics and privacy.
Apple has always prioritized our privacy, and according to Pu, the company is now considering how to use and process personal data while respecting this commitment. A combination of cloud-based AI and “edge AI” is expected, with the latter handling data processing directly on the device, ensuring greater control over personal information.
If the report is accurate and the timing is right, we could see the first implementation of these features in June, with the public release expected in September. In line with this, it’s worth recalling The Information‘s report from a few days ago, which hinted that Apple is looking to incorporate language models into Siri to enable users to automate complex tasks. This feature would require a deeper integration with the Shortcuts app and could possibly come with the launch of iOS 18.
As if that weren’t enough, let’s remember in an interview with Forbes, Apple CEO Tim Cook stated: “We have been working on generative AI for years and have done a lot of research. We will approach it thoughtfully and deeply, because we are fully aware of the potential negative uses as well as issues of bias and hallucination.”
Indeed, if Apple successfully integrates generative AI into our devices, iOS 18 could change the way we interact with technology, ushering in a new era not just for Siri but for the entire operating system. It would represent a paradigm shift in every sense.
