Apple has introduced a range of new AI-powered features, backed by a collaboration with OpenAI, as the tech giant strives to dismiss notions that it is lagging in the AI race.

During a nearly two-hour presentation at the annual Worldwide Developers Conference in Cupertino, California, CEO Tim Cook and other Apple executives unveiled "Apple Intelligence".

Major Announcements

“This goes beyond artificial intelligence, it’s personal intelligence, and it marks the next significant advancement for Apple,” Tim Cook stated.

The improvements include a reimagined virtual assistant Siri, which will now handle numerous additional tasks with the aid of ChatGPT.

Apple users will also gain the ability to create custom emojis using language prompts and generate email summaries in their mailbox via Apple’s proprietary technology.

Apple emphasized maintaining privacy as a central focus of its AI, differentiating itself from competitors Microsoft and Google, known for utilizing vast amounts of data.

Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, stated that "Apple Intelligence" integrates AI models directly within iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and ensures privacy protection at every stage.

Specifics and Reception

The enhancements will be available for free with Apple’s iOS 18 operating system, slated for release later this year, although the complete range of features will only be compatible with newer models of iPhone, iPad, and MacBook.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman expressed his satisfaction in a social media post about partnering with Apple to incorporate ChatGPT into its products.

However, Elon Musk, founder of OpenAI competitor xAI, criticized the partnership, alleging Apple could not safeguard user data after sharing it with OpenAI and accused Apple of compromising user security.

“That is an unacceptable security breach,” Musk, also leading Tesla and SpaceX, remarked in a post on X.

“And visitors will have to check their Apple devices at the door, where they will be stored in a Faraday cage.”

Apple has been pressured to demonstrate it is on par with Microsoft and Google in the AI rollout competition. However, investors seemed unenthusiastic about Monday’s announcements, with Apple’s shares dropping nearly 2 percent.