Apple’s AI Is Coming… Here’s What It Means for Your iPhone | Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AArtificial intelligence is coming to your iPhone soon, and according to Apple, it will change the way you use your device. Launching under the “Apple Intelligence” brand, the iPhone maker’s AI tools include an advanced version of its voice assistant, Siri, powered by a partnership with ChatGPT-owner OpenAI.

Apple is not the first smartphone maker to launch AI technology, as the technology is already available on smartphones including Google’s latest Pixel phones and Samsung’s Galaxy range.

However, the massive amounts of data that AI requires raises concerns about data privacy. Apple has built its reputation on privacy – its ads state, “Privacy. This is iPhone– So this is an area where the company claims to be different.

What is Apple Intelligence and when will it be available?

Apple Intelligence is the umbrella name for the iPhone maker’s AI capabilities, including the ChatGPT-4o integration that comes with the iOS 18 software upgrade.

The first version of iOS 18 is scheduled to launch alongside Apple’s iPhone 16 phones in September, but the AI ​​features will arrive later, in the iOS 18.1 update expected in mid- to late October.

The first iOS 18.1 Apple Intelligence features available in the beta include new writing tools, suggested replies in Messages, email summarization, and phone call transcription.

Other features coming later this year or in early 2025 include Image Playground — the ability to create your own animated images within apps — and custom emoji, called Genmoji. Meanwhile, long-awaited improvements to Apple’s Siri AI include ChatGPT integration, richer language understanding, and Deeper integration With individual apps. Siri will also be able to pull up your calendar, photos, and messages to better respond to text messages — for example, you can ask when your mom’s plane is landing and Siri will figure it out based on recent messages and emails, according to Apple.

Apple Intelligence is set to launch worldwide, but the features will face significant delays in the European Union and China due to regulatory concerns.

AI requires powerful hardware, so the features won’t be compatible with older devices. According to Apple, you’ll need an iPhone 15 or later, or an Apple device with the M1 or M2 chip, to access the full range.

How will my iPhone usage change?

The features will be rolled out slowly, so the immediate change won’t be dramatic. However, once you enable Apple Intelligence, you should notice that your interactions become more personalized and tasks become faster. For example, you might use summary tools to write emails on the go and you’ll have the opportunity to Record and transcribe phone calls For the first time – with the other caller’s permission, of course. “Everyday tasks will be easier and more enjoyable to do,” says Adam Biddlecombe, co-founder of AI publication Mindstream.

Like ChatGPT, Apple’s intelligent assistant will develop the ability to provide contextual responses, i.e. remember previous Siri conversations. And on the privacy front, a new visual indicator around the Siri icon will let you know when it’s listening.

But it’s worth noting that like any new, shiny technology, Apple’s AI may be a bit flawed when it launches. AI models need data to work, and while the technology improves, even Apple CEO Tim Cook admits he’s ‘not 100% sure’ Apple’s AI won’t hallucinate“I’m confident the quality of the film will be very high, but I can honestly say it’s less than 100 percent. I will never claim it’s 100 percent,” he said in a recent interview.

So unless you have complete confidence in the accuracy of chatbots, you may want to double-check the airline’s website to confirm when your mom’s flight will land.

How is ChatGPT on my iPhone different from using the ChatGTP app?

Apple will use ChatGPT as a backup, and to power features it can’t manage itself. You’ll ask Siri a question, but if Apple’s chatbot can’t answer more complex requests, it’ll pass the baton to ChatGPT.

The same applies to Text composition and image creationWhile Apple Intelligence provides these capabilities, ChatGPT can write messages and create images from scratch, which Apple isn’t good at yet.

The main difference between the app and ChatGPT on your iPhone is how your data is handled, says Camden Wolfen, head of the AI ​​group at consulting firm GRC International Group. “When you use ChatGPT directly, your queries go directly to OpenAI’s servers — there’s no middleman.”

However, he says that when you use ChatGPT’s integration with Siri, Apple acts as a “privacy-focused middleman.”

“Siri tries to handle your request directly on your device, and if it can’t, it sends some data to Apple servers, but in an encrypted and anonymized form,” he explains.

If both your device and Apple’s servers can’t fulfill the request, Siri reaches out to ChatGPT. “But even then, your request goes to Apple first, where it’s anonymized and encrypted, and only then does it go to OpenAI,” Woollven says. “So with Siri, your data gets an extra layer of privacy protection that you don’t get when using ChatGPT directly.”

Users can access Siri powered by GPT-4o for free without having to create an account, and ChatGPT subscribers can link their accounts and access paid features such as a larger message limit and the ability to access enhancements including a new voice mode, which allows you to communicate with ChatGPT via video in real time.

Are my conversations tracked or stored anywhere, and if so, by whom?

Apple says privacy protections are built in for users using ChatGPT. Most of the processing will happen on your device, so the data will never leave your iPhone.

Your IP address is not visible, and OpenAI will not store requests. ChatGPT’s data usage policies apply to users who choose to link their accounts.

For more complex queries that require the cloud, Apple says it will anonymize and encrypt your data end-to-end before sending it to its servers or to ChatGPT. “This means that even Apple or OpenAI shouldn’t be able to see the content of your queries, just the encrypted, anonymized version,” Woollven says.

However, Wolfin warns that even anonymous data can sometimes be linked to you if it is specific enough. “While Apple doesn’t directly store your conversations in a way that is linked to you, there is a small risk that a very specific query could be linked to you.”

More broadly, any intelligence requests from Apple that need to be processed outside of your device will be moved to the company’s cloud, Private Cloud Computingwhich claims to protect your data from external sources.

Apple says it will be transparent about when your data is used. It will provide a detailed report on your device, called the Apple Intelligence Report, that shows how each of your Siri requests is processed, so you can see what data was used and where it went.

However, AI requires massive amounts of information to work, and to enable these features, Apple needs access to more of your data. “Apple will be able to read your messages, monitor your calendar, track your maps and location, record your phone calls, view your photos and understand any other personal information,” Moore says.

I’m not sure about this. Can I unsubscribe?

Yes, you do have to enable Apple Intelligence in Settings. So whether you’re concerned about data privacy or skeptical about the accuracy or usefulness of these features, you’re not obligated to use them.