It's no secret that Apple is working on generative AI. No one knows what all this will entail, but a new leak from AppleInsider offers some insight. The publication recently spoke to “people familiar with the matter,” stating that Apple is working on an “AI-powered summary.” [tool] and greatly improved audio transcription” for multiple operating systems.
The report claims that these should bring “significant improvements” to core iOS apps like Notes and Voice Memos. The latter is planned to “be among the first to receive enhanced capabilities,” i.e. the aforementioned transcripts. They will take up a large part of the application's interface, replacing the graphical representation of audio recordings. AppleInsider claims that it works similarly to Live VoiceMail on the iPhone, with a speech bubble that triggers transcription and the text appears directly on the screen.
In addition to VoiceMemos, the Notes app will apparently also receive some substantial updates. You'll get the ability to record audio and provide them with a transcription, just like Voice Memo. What's unique to Notes, however, is the summary tool, which will provide “a basic text summary” of all the important points in a given note.
Safari and Messages will also receive their own summary features, although they will work differently. The browser will get a tool that creates brief breakdowns of web pages, while in Messages, the AI provides a summary of all your texts. It is unknown if the Safari update will be exclusive to iPhone or if the macOS version will have the same capability, but there is a possibility that it will.
Apple, as of this writing, is reportedly testing these features for an upcoming release in iOS 18 later this year. According to the report, there are plans to update the corresponding apps with the release of macOS 15 and iPadOS 18; Both are expected to be released in 2024.
It is important to mention that there are conflicting reports on how these AI models will work. AppleInsider claims that certain tools will run “entirely on the device” to protect user privacy. However, a report from Bloomberg says that some of iOS 18's AI features will be powered by a cloud server equipped with Apple's M2 Ultra chip, the same hardware found in the 2023 Mac Studio.
The reason for cloud support is that “complicated jobs” such as summarizing articles require additional computing power. iPhones alone may not have the ability to run everything internally.
Regardless of how the company implements its software, it could help Apple catch up to its rivals in artificial intelligence. Samsung's Galaxy S24 already has many of these AI features. Additionally, Microsoft's OneNote app can summarize information thanks to Copilot. Of course, take all these details with caution. Apple could always change things at the last minute.
Be sure to check out TechRadar's list of the best iPhones for 2024 to see which ones “reign supreme.”
