With iOS 18, Apple to fully invest in AI

Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, has made reference to sophisticated AI features in iOS 18. Improved text processing and condensing capabilities for Siri in the Messages app are part of the update. This project is a part of Apple's larger endeavour to improve AI capabilities. Ajax, a big language model, will power the "Intelligent Search" feature that is planned for Safari.

This report focuses only on information that could be verified independently through people familiar with the software. In addition to specific features, they have collectively shared some info on the iPhone maker's internal AI test environments as well.

As the popularity of generative AI software continues to increase, it is only logical for Apple to apply LLMs for the betterment of its existing default applications, which are widely deployed across billions of devices worldwide. Those familiar with the company's early efforts believe the company maintains a clear vision for its AI-enhanced apps and services, with an unmistakable sense of direction.

With the release of Safari 18, Apple is expected to introduce article summarization through a new Intelligent Search feature — meaning users will have the option to generate a brief summary of any webpage currently on screen.

Apple's built-in AI software can analyze the keywords and phrases within a webpage or document and generate a short summary containing only the most important information.

Siri is also due to receive a similar update, as the company intends to integrate the digital assistant more closely with its built-in Messages application.

The company's AI software can analyze message contents in pre-release versions of Apple's next-gen operating systems. The LLM is also reportedly capable of generating responses that relay the content of messages in a simplified way.

Internal test environments offer significant insight into the overall capabilities of Ajax, especially regarding on-device response generation - another key feature Apple is working on.