Apple begins rollout of first AI tools for iPhone, iPad and Mac

The first set of Apple’s new artificial intelligence-powered tools for the iPhone, iPad and Mac have been released to users in the United States.

First announced in June, the generative AI tools known as Apple Intelligence are the iPhone maker’s first move into the latest craze in the tech sector, sparked by the launch of ChatGPT almost two years ago.

As part of a free software update, compatible iPhone, iPad and Mac users will now be able to use Apple Intelligence to edit their writing across different apps, update virtual assistant Siri to make it smarter and more conversational, as well as improve the Photos app and prioritise and summarise emails and messages.

The company is also integrating ChatGPT into its devices as part of Apple Intelligence later this year.

The tools are only being rolled out in the United States for now, but are due to launch in the UK in December, but will only be available to owners of the new iPhone 16 or those with a Pro model of last year’s iPhone 15.

However, Apple has noted that many users outside the US can access Apple Intelligence tools from today if they change their device and Siri settings to US English.

Questions also remain over when and if the tools will be available for iPhone and iPad users in the European Union, because Apple remains in a stand-off with the bloc over new competition rules and has said it will hold off launching Apple Intelligence tools inside the EU on those devices for the time being.

But the tools are likely to come to the EU on Mac computers.

Apple’s launch also comes in the wake of rivals Google and Samsung having both already widely rolled out a suite of AI tools to a range of their devices earlier this year.

Apple chief executive Tim Cook said the launch of Apple Intelligence “introduces a new era” for the firm’s devices, and was “delivering brand new experiences and tools that will transform what our users can accomplish”.

“Apple Intelligence builds on years of innovation in AI and machine learning to put Apple’s generative models at the core of our devices, giving our users a personal intelligence system that is easy to use – all while protecting their privacy,” he said.

“Apple Intelligence is generative AI in a way that only Apple can deliver, and we’re incredibly excited about its ability to enrich our users’ lives.”

The US tech giant has looked to distinguish itself in the AI arms race by focusing on the privacy and security tools it includes as part of Apple Intelligence.

This includes much of the machine learning being done on-device rather than by using the cloud.

The company has also introduced a feature called Private Cloud Compute, which Apple says secures data and makes it inaccessible to anyone but the user, even when more processing power is needed off-device and in the cloud in order to respond to a query.

Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, said: “Apple Intelligence unlocks exciting new capabilities that make your iPhone, iPad, and Mac even more helpful and useful, from Writing Tools to help refine your writing, to summarised notifications that surface what’s most important, to the ability to search for almost anything in your photos and videos by simply describing it.

“And it’s all built on a foundation of privacy with on-device processing and Private Cloud Compute, a groundbreaking new approach that extends the privacy and security of iPhone into the cloud to protect users’ information.

“We are thrilled to bring the first set of Apple Intelligence features to users today, and this is just the beginning.”