Apple Inc unveiled a new artificial intelligence strategy on Monday at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, aiming to provide practical improvements and features that the company believes everyday consumers will actually use.
At its headquarters in Cupertino, California, the iPhone maker delivered an information-packed keynote in just about an hour and 20 minutes – a relatively short presentation by Apple’s standards. At the centre of its pitch was a much-anticipated Siri digital assistant and a handful of new AI capabilities.
The announcement marks a do-over moment for the company after its unveiling of Apple Intelligence two years ago, when the technology failed to fully live up to the initial promises.
Although none of the new technology is revolutionary, Apple has rebuilt the foundation of its platforms around more functional AI, a more capable Siri and improved performance. That will set the stage for fresh hardware that will run these operating systems, including a first-ever foldable iPhone due this fall.
Siri overhaul
The biggest change is a new version of Siri called Siri AI. The company described this software as a "more capable assistant” that can handle natural, back-and-forth conversations.
Apple Intelligence upgrades
The company teased a handful of new Apple Intelligence features coming to various products. The capabilities will be available at no additional cost across all supported languages. Some features will include usage limits, though those caps can be expanded through iCloud+, Apple’s premium cloud subscription service.
Operating system improvements
Apple has made numerous under-the-hood improvements designed to make everything from networking to photo sharing faster and more efficient.
Other changes
A variety of other upgrades should refine the experience across Apple devices. – Bloomberg
