"Siri AI": Apple promises comprehensive AI restart for Apple Intelligence
Using Google Gemini, Apple Intelligence is making a new attempt. In iOS 27, Siri AI will not be available in the EU for now.
(Image: Apple)
Apple has announced the major relaunch of Apple Intelligence – including “Siri AI”. The collaboration with Google, previously announced, is intended to make Apple's foundation models significantly more powerful through unspecified Gemini models and to improve both Apple Intelligence functions and Siri. In this context, the manufacturer announced a series of features on Monday evening at the WWDC keynote that had already been presented two years ago at WWDC 2024: Siri will thus be able to incorporate the user's personal context, understand screen content, and perform actions across app boundaries.
Apple emphasized that the existing data protection architecture will remain in place: the company relies on a hybrid approach of local AI models on the device and AI models in the cloud – on “Private Cloud Compute”. Neither Apple nor anyone else can view the requests, the company promises.
Apple delivers chatbot with Siri app
A new Siri app stores conversations in the familiar chatbot manner and makes them available in iOS, macOS, iPadOS, and other Apple operating systems. The “visual intelligence” for analyzing image content, previously limited to iPhones, will be available for the first time in macOS, iPadOS, and visionOS. Siri AI will also be present in every text field to generate texts completely, check spelling, or provide feedback. Apple admits that Siri AI will only work in English at launch, but promises support for other languages in the future.
Apple Intelligence also delivers new functions in Apple apps. These include automatic sorting of tabs and supposedly automatic improvement of passwords and notifications for website changes in the Safari browser. For iMessage chats, AI suggestions will appear, such as sharing photos or adding something to a note. Simple shortcuts can also be created with natural language in the future, Apple promises. Some functions will apparently only be available at launch if the operating system is used in English, while others are designed for German and other languages as well.
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Image Playground is intended to generate more realistic photos in the 27 versions of the operating systems. For this purpose, the models will run in Apple's Private Cloud Compute for the first time instead of just locally on the device. However, even the marketing examples chosen by Apple were not particularly convincing. Apple will not gain insight into the images, according to the promise. The Photos app will continue to “respect” the recordings despite new AI functions, an Apple manager emphasized as a precaution. The existing cleanup tool will be improved, and photos can also be “expanded” and the perspective (slightly) changed. The AI will then supplement missing elements. There will be usage limits for image generation in the future, which can only be increased by subscribing to iCloud+.
Siri AI not for EU iPhones for now
In Germany and other EU member states, Siri AI will not be available on iPhone and iPad for now, according to Apple. The company acted similarly when introducing Apple Intelligence, which was initially only available on Macs in the EU and later followed by iOS and iPadOS. The two mobile operating systems are subject to special competition rules through the Digital Markets Act as gatekeeper services. Apple Intelligence and Siri AI run on all devices that already support Apple Intelligence – iPhone 15 Pro and later, as well as Macs and iPads from M1 and with the A17 Pro (iPad mini) and the A18 Pro (MacBook Neo).
To get Apple's most powerful new local AI model, you need the latest hardware. Functions such as adjusting the Siri voice currently only support the iPhone 17 series, including the iPhone Air, as well as Macs from M3 (with at least 16 GB RAM) and the iPad Air from M4 and 12 GB RAM.
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