Apple is embracing the AI revolution with the upcoming iOS 18 update, codenamed ‘Project Graymatter.’ This update introduces a range of AI-powered enhancements, particularly for Siri, Apple’s voice assistant.
One of the key new features is ‘Graymatter Catch Up,’ which allows users to request an AI overview of their recent notifications. This feature operates as an on-device large language model (LLM) and has access to information from other accounts, such as calendar events, locations, dates, contacts, and companies.
Siri’s capabilities are expanding with the ability to summarize text of varying lengths, transcribe audio using the updated Notes and Voice Memos apps, and answer queries on-device. AJAX LLM or cloud-based processing will handle tasks that cannot be completed on-device.
Apple is also introducing AI-enhanced text summarization and transcription into its first-party apps. ‘Smart replies’ will be integrated into Messages, Mail, and Siri.
The Photos app is receiving an AI boost with ‘Clean Up,’ a feature that removes unwanted objects and people from image backgrounds, similar to Google’s Magic Eraser. Apple is also expected to launch ‘Generative Playground,’ a generative AI feature for image creation and editing. It will feature iMessage integration and may also be integrated into Notes.
For students, Math Notes is being integrated into the new GreyParrot Calculator app. Math Notes recognizes mathematical equations and offers solutions, acting as an auto-complete feature for math problems. It can also create graphs.
While ‘Project Graymatter’ promises impressive AI advancements, it’s important to note that the features may initially be labeled as beta or preview releases. Bloomberg reports that, unlike Google Gemini, Ajax LLM will not be able to generate or process video.
Apple is expected to reveal more details about the new AI and software features coming to iOS 18 and macOS 15 at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 10, 2024.
