WWDC 2024: Focus on Artificial Intelligence
Every June, Apple brings together developers from around the world at its annual WWDC conference. In 2024, the event focused on artificial intelligence and software updates for iOS, macOS, and iPadOS. Significant improvements have been made to the Siri voice assistant. However, new devices were not presented — their presentation is expected in the fall. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the key new products presented at WWDC 2024.
Apple Intelligence: A Breakthrough in Artificial Intelligence
The culmination of the event was the demonstration of Apple's new large-scale language model, called Apple Intelligence. This AI has the ability to prioritize notifications, edit text, and create graphics in iMessage, Notes, Keynote, Pages, and Freeform apps. iMessage has introduced a Smart Replies feature that will give users the ability to quickly select appropriate replies, as well as convert audio recordings of conversations into text.
Smart summarizing lets you tailor email text to suit the context and create summaries in apps like Safari and Mail. The Image Playground app will let you experiment with AI-generated images, and the GenMoji feature will let you create an emoji based on text queries. In addition, AI will be able to exclude unwanted objects from photos.
Artificial intelligence has brought significant improvements to the operation of the Siri voice assistant. It can now answer queries based on context, generate faster queries, and get more accurate results. Content recognition support is limited to supported apps, where Siri can identify and retrieve specific data (such as a document number).
ChatGPT 4o support will be coming to iOS, macOS, and iPadOS soon. The free version of this chatbot will be available to all Apple users without the need for registration. ChatGPT Plus subscribers will be able to integrate their accounts into operating systems. Apple emphasized that it will not sell the data collected for AI to other companies. AI will be available in English on iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, as well as iPad and MacBook with M1 chip and later this year.
A Quick Look at Other WWDC Announcements
- visionOS 2: An operating system update for Apple Vision Pro, it includes new 3D capabilities and lets you transform standard photos into 3D photos. New control gestures have been introduced, and functions for developers have been expanded.
- iOS 18: The new version of iOS brings improved home screen and control center customization options, including icon personalization and improved features for iMessage (scheduling messages and new text effects).
- iPadOS 18: All major iOS 18 updates also apply to iPadOS. Additional improvements have been made to application design. The Apple Pencil has gained new features, including handwriting recognition.
- macOS Sequoia. Integration of iOS and iPadOS features has been expanded, including new capabilities for managing notifications and interacting with iPhone. Game developers will have improved tools for porting Windows games to Mac.
- watchOS 11. The Fitness app has new features for customizing data collection. New functions have been added for health monitoring and widgets that are automatically activated depending on the context.
- Audio and TV. The updates include new features for AirPods (head gesture support for playback control and voice isolation for improved audio transmission). Apple TV+ adds InSight, which lets you see the cast and titles of music playing in real time.
Apple is faced with the need to integrate artificial intelligence technologies amid the success of competitors who are actively using them. The company said it plans to support other generative AI models in the future. In January, it lost the title of the world's most valuable company to Microsoft, and last week it fell to third place after Nvidia's market capitalization exceeded $3 trillion. After the presentation of Apple Intelligence, the company's shares rose sharply and surpassed the $200 mark, reaching an all-time high. Thus, Apple managed to regain second place in the ranking with a market capitalization of $3.1 trillion at the time of writing this news.