Apple announces Siri AI
Apple unveiled the next generation of its artificial intelligence (AI) platform, including an update to its Siri digital assistant, part of a bid to catch up with Silicon Valley peers in a critical market.
The new Apple Intelligence system — underpinned by Google technology — will be able to better understand the context of users’ requests, software chief Craig Federighi said Monday during a keynote presentation at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference.
Siri is “more intelligent, knowledgeable and capable,” Federighi said. The new assistant, called Siri AI, will be available in English to start, before expanding to other languages, he said.
The changes also enhance Apple’s Visual Intelligence features, providing information about what user see, and improve writing tools.
It’s a pivotal moment for Apple, which has to demonstrate to investors and consumers that its AI technology is back on track.
When the company unveiled the Apple Intelligence platform two years ago, many features were slow to arrive or inferior to rival offerings.
The overhaul of Siri is key to the company’s AI comeback. The new capabilities will include a standalone Siri app and a more chatbot-like interface, Bloomberg News has reported.
Apple’s Siri, first released in 2011, hasn’t kept up with AI-enhanced rivals. The latest abilities, which work across Apple’s operating systems, will help modernize the technology.
Still, many of the new features are similar to capabilities that Apple unveiled earlier — only to delay their release.
And investors gave a tepid reaction to the presentation: A stock gain of more than 3% soon fizzled.
During the presentation, Federighi said the new software updates would focus on three areas: AI, performance improvements and security.
The upgrades mean that software and photos will load faster. New child safety protections, meanwhile, will manage screen time and help prevent kids from accessing inappropriate content.
For the Mac computer lineup, Federighi announced that the next macOS would be called Golden Gate. The company also tinkered with its Liquid Glass design, which was unveiled last year.
Among the changes, a slider will now let users adjust the magnitude of the effect. Some customers had complained that text can be hard to read with Liquid Glass.
Searches within operating systems will be more effective, Apple said, making it easier for users to find what they’re looking for.
New Apple Intelligence features
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