Apple WWDC 2024 highlights: AI, platforms update, revamped Siri announced

Apple WWDC 2024 event highlights: Apple has unveiled new features coming with its next-generation platforms update, but most importantly announced Apple Intelligence for iPhones, iPads, and Macs

At its Worldwide Developers Conference’s keynote address, Apple introduced its next-generation platforms for iPhone, iPad, Watch Series, and Mac. Moreover, the US-based technology giant announced Apple Intelligence, a suite of artificial intelligence and machine learning powered tools and features for iPhone, iPad, and Macs. While Apple Intelligence is integrated into the Apple ecosystem, the company also announced a partnership with Microsoft-backed OpenAI for integrating ChatGPT AI chatbot into Siri, its digital assistant.

Apple Intelligence

Apple Intelligence, called personal intelligence by Apple, combines the power of generative AI with personal contextual understanding for better serving the user. Apple Intelligence uses hybrid set-up with private data of the user being processed on-device, while more complex processing takes place on cloud powered by its silicon.

Apple’s intelligence system powers AI capabilities such as text summarisation, text generation, image generation and more within native apps on Apple’s new iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia.

Siri AI assistant

Apple’s voice assistant Siri with Apple Intelligence backing it brings natural language processing capabilities to understand the context and tone of users' requests better. Siri has also been aesthetically revamped with a new design and interface. It now also supports text inputs like other digital assistants and has on-screen awareness. Additionally, Siri can now take in-app action for wider control over the device.

ChatGPT integration

OpenAI’s AI chat bot ChatGPT has been integrated into Siri which offers image generation capability to Apple’s digital assistant. ChatGPT will also support other AI tools for text related queries such as text generation and summarisation. Apple said that ChatGPT integration to Apple’s ecosystem is coming later this year.

Platforms update

Apple’s new operating system for iPhones, the iOS 18 brings more new non-AI powered features such as more Home Screen customisation options, new Control Center options, Redesigned Photos app and RCS messaging support to iPhones. Additionally, iOS 18 brings Lock an App function for limiting access to an app or even hiding individual apps on iPhones Moreover, the iOS 18 offers a more customisable home screen with relocatable apps and widgets, new dark mode icons, and a revamped Control Centre. Messaging is enhanced with RCS support, scheduling, and satellite messaging for newer iPhones, while the Photos app undergoes its biggest redesign.

iPadOS 18 introduces a floating tab bar, remote control via SharePlay, and handwriting improvements in the Notes app.

watchOS 11 adds new health-focused features, including training load metrics and enhanced cycle tracking, alongside smart stacks for automatic widget management.

macOS Sequoia boosts ecosystem continuity with wireless iPhone mirroring, improved window management, and integrated background replacements for video calls.

 

 

12:16 AM

Apple Intelligence: Support

Apple Intelligence coming to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPad and Macs with M1 and later.

12:16 AM

Apple Intelligence: More features

Rewriting tool

 

• To help you write specialised content with context awareness such as emails, resume, cover letters, etc.
• Support quick reply, which are called Smart Reply

 

Email

 

• Email summary
• Categorisations

 

Notes

• New tool called Image Wand to turn rough sketches into images, using Image Playgroung

 

Photos

 

• New “Clean Up” tool to make distracting objects in the background of photos disappear.
• Search in photos and videos now more powerful, with natural language search and the ability to find moments in the middle of video clips.

ChatGPT
 

• ChatGPT is integrated into Siri, Compose (with support for image generation). 
• When Apple Intelligence-powered tools such as revamped Siri wants to use ChatGPT, it will show a pop-up asking permission from user to send info to ChatGPT.
• ChatGPT integration coming later this year. "We also intend to add support for other AI models," says Craig.

12:14 AM

Revamped Siri: What's new

More natural, more relevant, and more personal.

Redesigned wake visual, which glows light that wrap arounds the device display

Siri to support text input, similar to other AI chatbots

Siri to have on-screen awareness

Siri will be able to take action in and across Apple native apps

Siri to drive context from personal content such as Photos, Messages, Calendar event, and more

12:13 AM

Apple Intelligence: What's new

• Personal intelligence system
• Apple Intelligence uses generative models, which are designed with privacy in mind
• Using Apple Intelligence, iPhones will prioritise notifications, help you write, summarise content, and condense text.
• Apple Intelligence is capable of generating images too, using photos in Photos library
• Apple Intelligence can take action across your apps and across Apple devices
• Apple Intelligence will be powered by on-device intelligence, which is available on the A17 Pro, and Apple Silicon starting from M1 chip
• Private Cloud Compute from Apple for specialised processing that needs to go on cloud

12:10 AM

Apple partners with OpenAI

• Siri voice assistant getting access to OpenAI's ChatGPT cahtbot
• Text generation, summarisation and more powered by ChatGPT 
• ChatGPT integration coming later this year

12:06 AM

Apple Intelligence: Image generation

• Genmoji: AI generated emojis
• Image Playground: AI generated images using pictures, themes without any prompt
• Image Playground is built into native apps and also has a seperate app too
• Image Wand for Apple Pencil: Ai generated images within notes using gestures 
• AI powered object eraser for photos
• AI powered image search in Photos

11:59 PM

Apple Intelligence: Writing tools

• Rewrite feature in for AI powered text suggestions and generation with tone understanding
• Proofreed text content
• Key point generation with text summarisation capability
• Email summaries on inbox in Mail app
• Auto-prioritising emails using AI
• Notification summaries

11:54 PM

Apple Intelligence: Siri voice assistant

• New design
• Deepely integrated into the system
• Natural language understanding
• Contextual understanding
• Type-in request support
• Improved knowledge about Apple devices like iPhones, iPads, Airtags and more
• On-screen understanding 
• Support for in-app actions 
• AI image editing
• Can work with third-party apps too
• Personal contextual understanding

11:46 PM

Apple Intelligence: Architecture

Apple Intelligence leverages Apple silicon to process data on-device for privacy
Private Cloud Compute for processing more complex requests on cloud
Hybrid nature: It decides if the data can be processed on-device or should be sent to Cloud for better results

11:43 PM

Apple intelligence: Apple's own AI is here

Capabilities:

• Natural language understanding for text generation, summarisation and more
• Personalised image generation within Notes, Pages and more native apps
• Apple Intelligence is capable of taking actions within apps
• It can process personal data on-device for understanding the context

11:37 PM

Safari: What's new

• World’s fastest browser with focus on privacy and security
• Safari now has highlights, which uses machine learning to automatically detect interesting things and show it to you with just a click.
• Reader mode now has summaries and table of contents.
• Viewer lets you bring videos front and center with system video controls.

11:36 PM

macOS Sequoia: What's new

• Continuity – to boosts Apple ecosystem.
• Wireless iPhone mirroring to see and control iPhone remotely using mac. iPhone notifications will appear alongside mac notifications. Audio is redirected to mac, too. Mirroring works even with the iPhone locked. Supports drag-and-drop functions.
• Tile position to quickly place windows side by side, just like Windows
• Built-in background replacements now available for FaceTime and Zoom
• Passwords app coming to mac, iPad, and iPhone, and Windows

11:34 PM

Assassins Creed Shadows on Macs and iPads

French videogame developer Ubisoft announces that Assassins Creed Shadows is coming to Apple silicon powered Macs and iPads along with PCs and gaming console in November this year

11:32 PM

iPadOS 18: What's new

• Floating tab bar, which is customisable and can move into a side bar
• SharePlay now lets you remote control someone else iPad
• Calculator app is coming to iPad – supports Apple Pencil
• Smart Script coming to Notes app. It will make handwriting smoother, using on-device machine learning, to make your handwriting better. Smoother, straighter, and more legible.
• Pasted text now appears in handwritten notes format
• Supports spell check, text wrap, and copy/paste functions

11:31 PM

WatchOS 11: What's new

• Training load for enthusiasts and training athletes
• Vitals app to quickly view vital health metrics at one place
• New features for cycle tracking — pregnancy tracking features
• WatchOS smart stacks automatically adds widgets like weather and translation
• Check-in coming to Apple Watch