More details emerge about Apple’s plans for AI in iOS 18

Apple CEO Tim Cook has made it clear that AI features are coming soon, and a new report from AppleInsider offers more details about what we might see in the next version of iOS. One of the big focuses will be on Siri, which will reportedly gain the ability to analyze and summarize texts within the Messages app.

AppleInsider previously said a similar “Intelligent Search” feature is coming to Safari in iOS 18, allowing users to summarize webpages. Apple’s large language model (LLM), called Ajax, will power these features. Several papers published by Apple suggest that the company is working on bringing on-device AI processing to the iPhone, and AppleInsider’s report further aligns with this.

The report says that Ajax uses on-device processing to generate simple responses, but it may have to contact a server to fetch answers to more complex requests. That may be where Google or OpenAI will come in, as Apple is reportedly exploring deals with both companies to help bring AI to the iPhone.

Apple’s AI features are also expected to come with an emphasis on privacy. AppleInsider reports that Apple will show privacy warnings before Ajax uses information from Safari or Messages. During Apple’s earnings call on Thursday, Cook said that Apple continues to “feel very bullish” about AI and that the company will have some “exciting things” to share soon. He also noted that Apple has “advantages” that will help the company’s AI features stand out, including an “unwavering focus on privacy.”