Apple’s WorldWide Developer Conference (WWDC) has officially begun, bringing with it a plethora of exciting updates and announcements for Apple devices, apps, and software. This year’s event is especially noteworthy thanks to Apple’s investment in generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology, resulting in a slate of new features and capabilities for users to enjoy.
“We’re thrilled to announce our partnership with OpenAI and the integration of their cutting-edge ChatGPT chatbot into a range of our devices,” said an Apple representative at the keynote. “We’re also excited to showcase our advancements in AI-generated emoji and photo editing tools at this year’s WWDC.”
Among the major announcements from WWDC 2024 are the following noteworthy updates in Apple’s AI technology:
- An upgraded version of Siri, with enhanced understanding and speech recognition capabilities thanks to the company’s overall generative AI push.
- Integration of ChatGPT into a variety of first-party apps and tools for a more advanced user experience.
- The introduction of new AI photo editing tools that allow users to remove objects and people from pictures with ease.
- An AI capability for proofreading, rewriting, and summarizing text across various forms of content.
“With our new and improved Siri, users can now communicate better with their devices through typing and asking questions,” noted the representative at the keynote. “We’re also introducing on-screen awareness and the ability to take action across apps, making Siri even more capable and user-friendly.”
To take advantage of these new Siri features, users will need an Apple device that supports the company’s heavily invested Apple Intelligence. This includes the latest version of the iPhone and devices with M1 or newer chips.
The integration of ChatGPT, OpenAI’s powerful chatbot, is also a major highlight of this year’s WWDC. Along with its integration into Siri, ChatGPT will be available for use in other first-party apps and capabilities across Apple’s operating systems.
“With ChatGPT, we’re bringing expert knowledge and expertise to our users, whether they’re asking questions, sharing photos, or discussing their documents,” explained the representative. “We’ve also incorporated ChatGPT into OS-wide tools such as Writing Tools, allowing users to easily create content and generate ideas using AI technology.”
This integration will be available on iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia later this year, and will not require users to create a ChatGPT or OpenAI account. The integration will be powered by GPT-4o, OpenAI’s flagship generative AI model.
Two new features that highlight the power of AI in generating images have also been introduced at WWDC. The first, called Genmoji, allows users to create emoji-like AI images of anyone in their photo library or custom emoji. These can then be used as stickers for reacting to messages or inline with other forms of communication.
The second feature, Image Playground, is a standalone app and API that enables users to create images using themes, costumes, accessories, and more. This can be used in various apps such as Notes, Freeform, Keynote, and Pages, making it an extremely versatile tool for creating AI-generated images.
“We’re proud to introduce our new AI-powered Clean Up tool, which removes unwanted objects and people from photos,” stated the representative. “Using AI technology, Clean Up can seamlessly remove selected elements and fill in the gaps to make it seem like they were never there.”
This tool, along with various other AI advancements in the Photos app, will be available with the upcoming iOS 18 update. This includes automatic organization of photos by topics such as time, people, favorite memories, trips, and more, making it easier for users to search for specific photos using more specific terms.
Another major announcement from WWDC 2024 is the addition of an optional call recording and transcription feature for iPhone 15 Pro and newer models. This unique AI capability allows users to manually record and transcribe phone calls, and also provides a summary of key points discussed during the call in the Notes app.
“We’re excited to introduce this new feature that gives users more control and convenience in their communication,” said the representative during the keynote. “This AI-powered transcription capability will also be available for use within the Notes app for more seamless note-taking.”
