Top 24 Questions About Apple Intelligence Answered
- Apple recently dropped its take on AI – and it’s more than just another smart assistant.
- Ready for an AI that rewrites your emails and keeps your privacy in check?
- We’ve rounded up the 24 questions people can’t stop asking about Apple Intelligence.
- Spoiler: It’s all happening right on your iPhone, no data center needed! Read on...
Apple Intelligence, introduced by Apple as part of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, marks the company's entry into the field of AI with a uniquely integrated approach. This personal intelligence system blends powerful generative models with a user’s personal context, aiming to provide a seamless experience across Apple devices. It leverages Apple’s hardware, especially Apple silicon, to handle complex tasks like rewriting, summarizing text, managing emails, and generating images.
In this article, we’ve compiled the top 24 questions asked by our readers into one handy guide to help you better understand what Apple Intelligence brings to the table. From explaining its key features to addressing how it maintains Apple’s renowned privacy standards, this guide breaks down everything you need to know about Apple's "AI for the rest of us." Whether you're curious about its everyday applications or how it compares to other generative models, we've got you covered.
Photo via Apple Inc. // Craig Federighi introducing Apple Intelligence at WWDC24
1. What’s Apple’s AI called?
Apple’s AI is called Apple Intelligence. It’s part of the iOS, iPadOS, and macOS ecosystems, designed to harness generative models to enhance user experience across Apple devices.
2. What is Apple Intelligence?
Apple Intelligence is a personal intelligence system embedded in Apple devices that uses generative AI models combined with personal context to perform tasks like language processing, summarizing, rewriting, and even creating images, while prioritizing privacy.
3. What can you do with Apple Intelligence?
You can use Apple Intelligence for a variety of tasks such as rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing text, generating images, organizing emails and notifications, and taking actions across apps. It's all about making everyday tasks easier and faster.
4. Why don’t I have Apple Intelligence yet?
As of now, Apple Intelligence has not been rolled out publicly. Apple Intelligence is rolling out gradually, with the beta available in specific regions and on newer Apple devices. If you are a developer and you don’t have access yet, it could be because you’re in a region where it's not available or you’re using an older device that doesn’t support the feature. Only iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and Apple's latest line of iPhone 16 models made the cut. But for everyone else, unfortunately we will have to wait for Apple's new AI features, or upgrade to experience them.
5. How do I turn on Apple Intelligence?
Apple Intelligence is baked into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. Once you update your device to these operating systems, it should be activated by default, as long as you have one of the devices mentioned above. However, keep in mind that Apple Intelligence is rolling out gradually, likely starting with iOS 18.1, so we are unlikely to see any artificial intelligence features until later in the year, depending on when you are reading this.
6. Will all iPhones get access to Apple Intelligence?
No, not all iPhones will get access to Apple Intelligence. It is available for Apple's newest smartphones the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, along with last years iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and other devices with Apple Silicon like newer iPads and Macs. Older devices might not support all the features.
7. Is Apple Intelligence just ChatGPT?
No, Apple Intelligence is not just ChatGPT. While Apple Intelligence integrates generative AI and has some overlapping features like writing tools, it’s a more comprehensive system that also focuses on personal context and integrates deeply with Apple's ecosystem. When Apple Intelligence needs access to an internet-connected large language model to answer a question or generate content, Apple will prompt the user by asking for permission first.
8. What’s the difference between Apple Intelligence and AI?
Apple Intelligence is a specific implementation of AI, optimized for Apple devices, with a strong focus on privacy and personal context. It was developed by Apple Inc. in partnership with OpenAI. Most tasks can be handled and processed locally on-device, rather than having to use a cloud-based system. Generic "AI" can refer to various systems that might not be as tightly integrated with user privacy or device ecosystems, like OpenAI's ChatGPT or Anthropic's Claude AI.
9. How is Apple Intelligence different?
Apple Intelligence stands out because of its deep integration with Apple's software and hardware, particularly its privacy measures. It uses on-device processing for many tasks and relies on Apple’s Private Cloud Compute to balance security and computational power, only connecting to the internet for more complex tasks and queries.
10. How much did Apple pay OpenAI ChatGPT?
There is no information or evidence suggesting that Apple has paid OpenAI for ChatGPT. Apple tends to develop and rely on its own in-house AI technologies rather than licensing from external companies like OpenAI. However, rumors indicate that Apple did not pay OpenAI anything initially—and instead promised long-term cooperation with the rising artificial intelligence company. Which really is crazy when you think about it.
11. Is Siri considered artificial intelligence?
It depends who you ask, but generally yes, present-day Siri is considered a form of artificial intelligence. It uses natural language processing and machine learning to understand and respond to user commands. However, the way Siri answers questions is not the same as today's definition of "artificial intelligence." In comparison, the way present-day Siri handles and answers questions looks incredibly dated. When framed this way, Apple's moves to quickly impliment the technology into their flagship product, the iPhone, make more sense. It is a widely known fact that compared to todays more advanced generative AI models, Siri is lacking in functionality, and almost unusable for the vast majority of tasks.
Side note: Present-day Siri is great for setting alarms, timers, and stuff like that. Basically anything more complex than that is impossible with Siri.
12. What does Siri stand for?
Siri's name, though not an acronym, has an interesting connection to its origins. The name "Siri" could be seen as a nod to its parent company, SRI International. SRI, or Stanford Research Institute, was instrumental in the development of Siri's underlying technology. "Siri" might be viewed as a playful, informal spin on "SRI," reflecting its roots in the research institute.
One of its original creators, Dag Kittlaus, mentioned that Siri was the name he had intended to use for his first-born daughter, but he ended up naming the AI system instead.
13. Is Apple’s AI Apple Intelligence free to use?
Yes, Apple Intelligence is free to use as part of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. For now, that is.
14. What is an example of Apple Intelligence?
An example would be the Writing Tools in iOS 18 that allow users to rewrite, proofread, and summarize text in apps like Mail and Notes. Apple Intelligence can also generate personalized responses to emails and notifications, or even create custom images using Image Playground.
15. Is Apple Intelligence worth it?
If you’re invested in the Apple ecosystem and frequently use your devices for writing, communication, or creative tasks, Apple Intelligence could be a game-changer. Its privacy features and seamless integration with Apple hardware also make it appealing for users concerned with data security.
16. Who leads AI at Apple?
Apple’s AI efforts are led by John Giannandrea, the Senior Vice President of Machine Learning and AI Strategy. He joined Apple from Google, where he led their search and AI teams.
Regional Questions
17. Is Apple Intelligence US only?
At launch, Apple Intelligence is U.S.-only, with the initial beta being limited to users with U.S. English language settings on their devices.
18. When is Apple Intelligence coming to the UK?
There’s no exact release date yet for the UK, but Apple typically rolls out its new features to international markets within a few months of the U.S. launch, possibly in late 2024 or early 2025.
19. When is Apple Intelligence coming to Canada?
Similar to the UK, there’s no set release date for Canada yet. However, it’s expected to arrive in the near future after the U.S. release, possibly in late 2024 or early 2025.
20. Why is there no Apple Intelligence in the EU yet?
The EU has stringent data privacy laws (such as GDPR), which could be causing delays in rolling out Apple Intelligence there. Apple often needs more time to ensure compliance with local regulations before launching new services.
21. When is Apple Intelligence coming to Australia?
Like other regions, there’s no specific launch date for Australia. It is expected that Australia will get Apple Intelligence shortly after the U.S., possibly in late 2024 or early 2025.
22. How to get Apple Intelligence outside of the US?
If you’re outside the U.S. and want to try Apple Intelligence early, you could change your device’s language and region settings to U.S. English. However, some features may still be region-locked.
Most Common Compatibility Questions
23. Is Apple Intelligence on iPhone 15?
Yes, Apple Intelligence is available on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus unfortunately didn't make the cut.
24. Is Apple Intelligence on iPhone 14?
Apple Intelligence is not available on the iPhone 14. The iPhone 14 series will not support any of the capabilities of Apple Intelligence, as Apple insists the processor is not powerful enough.
Photo via Apple Inc. // Apple's iPhone 16 lineup, as well as iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, are expected to showcase new AI features in 2024 and 2025.
Recommended by the editors:
Thank you for visiting Apple Scoop! As a dedicated independent news organization, we strive to deliver the latest updates and in-depth journalism on everything Apple. Have insights or thoughts to share? Drop a comment below—our team actively engages with and responds to our community. Return to the home page.Published to Apple Scoop on 15th September, 2024.
No password required
A confirmation request will be delivered to the email address you provide. Once confirmed, your comment will be published. It's as simple as two clicks.
Your email address will not be published publicly. Additionally, we will not send you marketing emails unless you opt-in.