© Apple
Apple held its traditional developers conference, as every year, WWDC 2024. More software-oriented, the event is also sometimes an opportunity to launch new products for which the firm still requires evangelizing its community of application creators. Last year, the firm launched the Vision Pro, its highly anticipated virtual reality headset, soon available in France.
This year, however, the common thread of the event was very different. Apple absolutely had to respond to Microsoft, with Copilot, Google and Gemini Advanced as well as Samsung's Galaxy AI. Three examples of deep integration of AI into consumer products – which seemed to start to worry the firm. It must be said that Tim Cook and his teams had made very few announcements on the AI field.
Or none on generative AI. The Apple boss even seemed to hesitate following the thunderclap of the launch of ChatGPT to form a clear opinion on the issue. Including: WWDC shows that generative AI is totally essential for any leading technological player. Apple is thus launching, with Apple Intelligence, a whole series of useful new features. The latter being available in a large part of the catalog from the next version of their operating system.
The integration of Apple Intelligence is based both on in-house models (the contours of which remain quite mysterious for the moment) and a major partnership with OpenAI. Here are the announcements to remember from the event.
© Apple
The big news is of course the arrival of Apple Intelligence throughout the recent Apple lineup. This integration incentivizes and facilitates users to use generative AI in every corner of the interface. You can also generate images in Notes from a sketch or a prompt, generate responses to emails in two clicks, or very easily summarize long texts and articles.
As you might expect, Apple has placed a lot of emphasis on security and privacy. Most of the models are run locally, directly on the device. While the more powerful and sophisticated models in case of complex requests remain executed from Apple datacenters, but with a high level of encryption which prevents any interception.
© Apple/Lemon squeezer
The other big announcement is that of an agreement with OpenAI. Agreement which authorizes the integration, in Apple Intelligence, of ChatGPT and its latest models. This will result in access to more complex content generations across different operating systems. No account is a priori required, but Plus, Enterprise and Teams subscribers will benefit from their advantages if they wish.
In case of access to OpenAI models, permission will be systematically requested – enough to allow the user to estimate the risk for the security of their data. Currently, only ChatGPT for Teams subscribers have access to a more secure version of ChatGPT, which does not leak potentially sensitive data.
L’activating Siri on iOS 18 is reflected by a new animation around the screen © Apple
After a sensational debut, to say the least, and the launch of Google Assistant and Alexa, Siri was a bit struggling in recent years. We have seen relatively few truly transformative new features for the user experience. It must be said that all the assistants on the market so far have one flaw: they require a manually created order database and which is therefore quite rigid. And they redirect to an internet search, often missing the question, as soon as the user asks something that the assistant can't do.
In addition to this, understanding itself often fails. You have to speak, as it were, in the assistant's newspeak; and above all, don't hesitate too much, otherwise Siri might kick in. Or make you listen without warning and without solicitation Bravo you won by Mireille Mathieu (even if we are allergic to it). All that changes with Apple Intelligence. Firstly, because new models allow Siri to understand you better, no matter how you speak to her.
Secondly, because Siri can now control and retrieve information from numerous applications – including third parties. But that's not all: thanks to its partnership with OpenAI, Siri will no longer redirect you to an internet search. Instead there will be ChatGPT – with, as it should be, your express consent as soon as it comes to leaving the firm's secure AI garden.
© Apple
For some, it was ultimately the most surprising announcement. Since its inception, Apple has been betting on a different philosophy from the rest of the market when it comes to the interface. Its teams select the best features that are most useful to users, while avoiding the “superfluous”. Making these devices, in the end, relatively uncustomizable mobiles in terms of the appearance of the interface.
We don't know what stung the firm this time, but starting with iOS 18, your iPhone and iPad will benefit from customization options that have been at the heart of the Android experience since its inception. Control Center gets new pages with new controls based on the app or your activities — and you canresize everything as desired.
There is also the possibility of repainting all your icons in one action with the same dominant color for a particularly clean look. And a new dark mode that adapts your icons, again thanks to AI. Another fun detail: it is finally possible to place your icons where you want them, to hide applications and even to protect them with a password . A revolution!
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