Apple Intelligence

 

Apple is set to release a ChatGPT-powered version of Siri as part of a series of AI features in iOS 18.


Will this change the way you use your phone – and how does it affect your privacy?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is coming to your iPhone soon, and according to Apple, it's going to change the way you use your device. Branded "Apple Intelligence," the iPhone maker's AI tools include a supercharged version of its voice assistant, Siri, powered by a partnership with ChatGPT owner OpenAI.






Apple is not the first smartphone maker to launch artificial intelligence. The technology is already available in smartphones, including Google's latest Pixels and Samsung's Galaxy series.

However, the sheer volume of data needed by AI leads to data privacy concerns. Apple has built its reputation on privacy – its ad says “Privacy. This is the iPhone ” – so this is one area where the company claims to be different.

What is Apple Intelligence and when will it be available?
Apple Intelligence is the primary name for the iPhone maker's AI capabilities, including the ChatGPT-4o integration that comes with the iOS 18 software upgrade.

The first iteration of iOS 18 will debut alongside Apple's iPhone 16 models on September, but AI features arrive later, in the iOS 18.1 update expected in mid-to-late October.

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


Other features coming later this year or early 2025 include Image Playground – the ability to create your own animations within apps – and custom emoji, called Genmoji. Meanwhile, long-awaited AI improvements to Apple's Siri chatbot include ChatGPT integration, richer language understanding, and deeper integration with individual apps. Siri will also be able to see your calendar, photos, and messages to better respond to text — for example, you could ask when your mom's flight lands, and Siri would figure it out based on recent messages and emails, according to with Apple.

Apple Intelligence will be released worldwide, but the features will face a significant delay in the EU and China due to regulatory concerns.

The AI ​​requires powerful hardware, so features will not be compatible with older devices. According to Apple, you'll need the iPhone 15 or later or an Apple device using the M1 or M2 chip to access the full range.

How will using my iPhone change?
The features will roll out slowly, so the immediate change won't be drastic. However, once you enable Apple Intelligence, you should notice that your interactions become more personalized and tasks become faster. For example, you can use the summarizing tools to compose emails on the fly, and you'll be given the opportunity to record and transcribe phone calls for the first time – with the other caller's permission, of course. "Performing everyday tasks will be easier and more enjoyable," says Adam Biddlecombe, co-founder of AI newsletter Mindstream.

Like ChatGPT, Apple's smart assistant will develop the ability to provide contextual responses, i.e. remembering the thread of a previous Siri conversation. As for privacy, 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 and shiny technology, Apple's AI could be a little unpleasant when it launches. AI models need data to work, and while the technology is improving, even Apple CEO Tim Cook admits he's "not 100% sure" that Apple Intelligence won't be hallucinating. "I'm sure it will be of very high quality," he said in a recent interview. “But I would say in all honesty, that's less than 100%. I would never claim it's 100%."

So if you don't have complete confidence in the chatbots' accuracy, you can double-check the airline's website to confirm when your mom's flight is landing.

How is ChatGPT on my iPhone different from using the ChatGTP app?
Apple will use ChatGPT as a backup and to power functions it cannot manage alone. You'll ask Siri the question, but if Apple's chatbot can't answer more complex requests, it'll pass the baton to ChatGPT.

The same applies to composing text and creating images. While Apple Intelligence offers these features, ChatGPT can write letters and create images from scratch, something Apple isn't very good at yet.

The main difference between the app and ChatGPT on your iPhone is in how it handles your data, says Camden Woollven, head of the AI ​​group at consultancy GRC International Group. "When you use ChatGPT directly, your queries go directly to OpenAI's servers – there's no middleman."

However, he says, when you use Siri's ChatGPT integration, 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's servers, but in encrypted and anonymous form," he explains.

If both your device and Apple's servers can't fulfill the request, Siri contacts ChatGPT. "But even then, your request first goes to Apple, is 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 creating an account, and ChatGPT subscribers can link their accounts and gain access to paid features such as a larger message limit and access to enhancements including of the new voice feature, which allows you to communicate with ChatGPT with real-time video.

Are my conversations being tracked or saved anywhere, and if so, by whom?
Apple says privacy protections are built in for users who access ChatGPT. Most of the processing will be done on your device, so the data never leaves your iPhone .

Your IP address is masked and OpenAI will not store requests. ChatGPT's data usage policies apply to users who choose to link their account.

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 ChatGPT. "So this means that even Apple or OpenAI shouldn't be able to see the content of your requests, only the encrypted, anonymous version," Woollven says.

But even anonymous data can sometimes be linked to you if it's specific enough, Woollven warns. "So while Apple doesn't directly store your conversations in a way that can be linked to you, there's still a small risk that a very specific query could potentially be linked to you."

More generally, any Apple Intelligence requests that need to be processed from your device will be transferred to the company's private cloud, Private Cloud Compute , which claims to protect your data from outside sources.

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

That said, AI requires massive amounts of information to function, and to power those functions, Apple needs access to more than just your data. "Apple will be able to read your messages, track your calendar, track your Maps and location, record your phone calls, see your photos and understand any other personal information," Moore says. .

I'm not sure about that. Can I opt out?
Yes, you need to toggle Apple Intelligence in Settings. Therefore, whether you are concerned about data privacy or are skeptical about the accuracy or usefulness of these features, you are under no obligation to use them.

Elon Musk recently talked about Apple Intelligence and called it a “creepy spyware”.

"I don't want it. Either you stop this creepy spyware or all Apple devices will be banned from my companies facilities," Musk said on Twitter/X.

According to Musk, the ChatGPT integration poses a privacy threat because OpenAI leverages user conversations to train its AI models. "Apple has no idea what's really going on once they hand over your data to OpenAI," he tweeted.