Apple AI will improve Siri, Safari, Spotlight and Messages
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Some standard Apple system components are located is on the cusp of significant AI improvements, with Safari, Spotlight Search and Siri first in line for updates.
Over the past few months, there has been various talk about AI-related features that will be available in iOS 18, and AppleInsider has since learned some details about the functionality of Apple's Ajax Large Language Model (LLM), as well as information about features the company conducted tests with him.
This report focuses only on information that can be verified independently by people familiar with the software. Apart from specific features, they also shared some information about the iPhone maker's internal AI testing environments.
Before diving into the details of the planned AI upgrades, it's important to consider the motivation behind Apple's decision to develop its own generative AI technology and what it aims to achieve with it.
Why is Apple including generative artificial intelligence in its future operating systems?
As generative AI software continues to grow in popularity, it makes sense for Apple to use LLM to improve the situation. existing default applications that are widely deployed on billions of devices around the world. Those familiar with the company's early efforts believe that the company maintains a clear vision for its AI-enhanced applications and services, with an unerring sense of direction.
Apple will enhance its operating systems with GPT-like features
Apple's approach to generative artificial intelligence will focus on practical benefits for the end user while attempting to preserve user privacy using LLM on the device.
Rather than offering short-term entertainment value in the form of an AI chatbot, the company aims to enhance its existing portfolio of systems applications with generative AI. Features such as text summarization, document analysis, and advanced AI-powered search capabilities will directly benefit end users.
Starting next month, Apple intends to introduce artificial intelligence improvements to several built-in system apps, including Siri, Spotlight Search, Messages, Mail and Safari.
Artificial intelligence-based text summarization for Safari and Siri
As detailed in our exclusive report on the next version of Safari, Apple is testing artificial intelligence improvements to the app, with text summarization a key feature in development.
Safari's Smart View feature will provide page summaries and other information
With the release of Safari 18, Apple is expected to introduce article summarization using a new intelligent Search feature — This means that users will be able to create a short description of any web page currently displayed on the screen.
Apple's built-in artificial intelligence software can analyze keywords and phrases on a web page or document and generate a short summary containing only the most important information.
Siri is also set to receive a similar update, according to people familiar with Apple's plans, as the company looks to integrate the digital assistant more closely with the built-in Messages app.
The company's AI software can analyze the content of messages in preview versions of Apple's next-generation operating systems. LLM is also reported to be able to generate responses that convey the content of messages in a simplified form.
Internal test environments provide significant insight into the overall capabilities of Ajax, especially as it relates to on-device response generation, another key feature Apple is working on.
Ajax will be able to generate basic responses entirely on the device
Apple has been studying offline response generation software for over a year now, and it is likely that it could debut next month at WWDC that year or other form.
Spotlight will be much better with smarter results and sorting
Perhaps the most valuable feature Apple has developed is the software's ability to generate answers several times long. proposals. and function without interruption without cloud processing.
Given text input, the on-device AI generates multiple responses within milliseconds. In Apple's testing environments, these answers are organized based on accuracy, speed, and other important factors.
When creating responses, Apple's Ajax LLM will check to see if the text you enter contains the name of a saved contact and display the contact's information if necessary. The software will also interact with the Calendar app and take events into account when creating a response.
Although Ajax can generate basic text responses on the device, more complex responses or text summaries appear to require server-side processing. This is consistent with other reports that claim Apple is in talks with OpenAI and Google to license their cloud-based artificial intelligence technology.
As for generating text from a tooltip, Apple has reportedly been exploring ways to do this entirely on the device, but it remains unclear whether it has succeeded in implementing text generation offline.
Although more complex AI functions will likely require connectivity, processing on an Apple device can still be used for simpler functions such as text analysis and basic summarization using keywords and sentences.
Text analysis and summarization for Safari and Messages
In its AI test apps and related environments, Apple places a heavy emphasis on text analysis and summarization, all done using Ajax's on-device LLM.
Alternative browsers like Arc offer article summaries, and Safari will be coming soon too.
Before testing can begin, Apple engineers first provide the LLM with the necessary text input. . The software can receive text input through a dedicated text field, through digital documents, or use information from the Safari and Messages apps.
When receiving text input, Apple's on-device artificial intelligence selects keywords and phrases in the text, designating them as text topics. Sentences containing explanations, descriptions, definitions, or denoting varieties of objects are also highlighted from the rest of the text.
When analyzing texts, the program takes into account all available information. It can recognize and classify objects such as companies, people and locations. For example, if a name appears at the top of text, the program will likely recognize that name as belonging to the author of the text.
The selected key sentences and topics ultimately provide a rudimentary text summary that Apple's on-device response software can use to produce a more coherent response.
Because the company's text analytics software can run entirely on the device, it could give Apple an edge over rivals in the privacy space.
How will new AI improvements impact user privacy?
It appears that the AI software on Apple devices also has a strong focus on preserving the privacy of its users, which would be in line with the company's existing privacy-focused features such like iCloud. Private relay.
Apple considers privacy a fundamental human right and will prioritize it through artificial intelligence.
Even in Apple's test environments, warnings about user privacy still exist. The company's test utilities display a message before Ajax LLM uses any information from Safari or the Messages app, according to people familiar with the software.
Eliminating the need for cloud processing — at least in the simplest situations — the likelihood of privacy issues occurring is greatly reduced. If user data is not transmitted, the likelihood of it being compromised is obviously much lower.
Compared to existing AI implementations in competing products and services, Apple's implementation is arguably innovative in terms of preserving privacy and efficiently processing data on the device.
How does Ajax compare to its competitors?
Apple's AI improvements are designed to compete with the growing number of AI-enabled apps available from a wide range of third parties.
Siri is getting a big update
Virtually every app, from Slack to Google Chrome, now has some degree of AI integration in addition to various chat apps -artificial intelligence bots currently available on the market.
Products like Rabbit R1 or Humane AI Pin can also be seen as competition, as they are generally perceived as virtual personal assistants or smartphone replacements.
By creating an AI-infused version of Siri with on-device processing, Apple hopes to eclipse many existing generative AI implementations, especially physical AI-themed products.
Both Rabbit R1 and Humane AI Pin operate via cloud processing, with the latter even requiring a separate monthly subscription to operate. These devices are also generally considered unfinished or partially functional, as noted in various user reviews.
Apple will compete with products like the Rabbit R1 by offering vertically integrated AI software on existing hardware.
An AI-enabled version of Siri will also Provide enhanced privacy protection through on-device processing, all without an additional monthly subscription. Given Apple's established market presence, quality control practices, and available resources, Siri has new potential to become a serious competitive threat.
During Apple's last earnings call on May 2, Apple CEO Tim Cook answered two questions about the company's monetization of generative artificial intelligence, but did not provide specific answers. Earlier in the call, Cook reiterated Apple's “unwavering focus on privacy” and said the company has “advantages that differentiate it from competitors in artificial intelligence.”
Compared to AI chatbot apps and services such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, the updated version of Siri will have its advantages in terms of on-device functionality. It will also leverage existing integrations with other built-in Apple apps, providing more functionality than any regular chatbot.
As for Safari's upcoming Smart View feature with text summarization, it will likely compete with established third-party browsers such as Arc Browser, which also includes its own text summarization feature.
Given Apple's recent interest in artificial intelligence, we should see some of these features debut at the annual Worldwide Developers Conference later this year.
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