Apple spent a huge chunk of time at its WWDC keynote unleashing many details about Apple Intelligence, its new personal intelligence system for iPhone, iPad, and Mac that combines generative AI models with personal context to deliver relevant and useful intelligence.

What you need to know is that Apple Intelligence will be built into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. It uses Apple silicon to understand and create language and images, take actions across apps, and simplify tasks.

Apple also says it sets a new standard for privacy in AI with Private Cloud Compute, balancing on-device processing and larger, server-based models.

“We’re thrilled to introduce a new chapter in Apple innovation. Apple Intelligence will transform what users can do with our products — and what our products can do for our users,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO in a statement. “Our unique approach combines generative AI with a user’s personal context to deliver truly helpful intelligence. And it can access that information in a completely private and secure way to help users do the things that matter most to them. This is AI as only Apple can deliver it, and we can’t wait for users to experience what it can do.”

Here’s a brief summary of Apple Intelligence features below…

Understanding and Creating Language

Writing Tools:

• Rewrite: Choose from different versions of text, adjusting tone for the audience.
• Proofread: Checks grammar, word choice, and sentence structure with suggested edits.
• Summarize: Recap text in a paragraph, bulleted points, a table, or a list.

Mail:

• Priority Messages: Shows urgent emails at the top of the inbox.
• Email Summaries: View key points without opening the message.
• Smart Reply: Provides quick response suggestions and identifies questions to ensure they are answered.

Notifications:

• Priority Notifications: Surface the most important notifications at the top.
• Summaries: Scan long or stacked notifications for key details.
• Reduce Interruptions Focus: Surfaces only immediate attention notifications.

Audio Recording:

• Record, transcribe, and summarize audio in Notes and Phone apps.

Image Creation

Image Playground:

• Create images in seconds with Animation, Illustration, or Sketch styles.
• Available in Messages, Notes (via Image Wand in the Apple Pencil tool palette), Keynote, Freeform, Pages, and third-party apps.

Genmoji:

• Create Genmoji by typing a description or based on photos.
• Add Genmoji inline to messages, or use them as stickers or Tapback reactions.

Photos

Search:

• Use natural language to search for specific photos and moments in videos.

Clean Up Tool:

• Remove distracting objects in photos without altering the subject.

Memories:

• Create storylines from photos and videos based on user descriptions, with song suggestions from Apple Music. This is going to be a great feature.

Siri Enhancements

Integration:

• Richer language understanding and contextual relevance.
• Type to Siri and switch between text and voice.
• Onscreen awareness for related actions and information.

New Actions:

• Take hundreds of new actions in and across apps.
• Deliver tailored intelligence based on user’s on-device information.

Privacy

Private Cloud Compute:

• Scales computational capacity between on-device and server-based models.
• Ensures data is never retained or exposed, with public logging for inspection.

ChatGPT Integration

Access:

• Integrated into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia.
• Users can access ChatGPT’s expertise, image, and document-understanding capabilities.

Privacy Protections:

• IP addresses are obscured, and OpenAI won’t store requests.

Availability:

• Free access without creating an account, with options for subscribers to connect their accounts.

When Will Apple Intelligence Be Available?

Beta:

• Available in beta as part of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia this fall in U.S. English.

Devices:

• Available on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPad and Mac with M1 and later.

So of course, Apple says only those with an iPhone 15 Pro series phone or Mac or iPad with M1 or later will have access to Apple Intelligence. Are these new AI features enough to force you to upgrade your older devices?