Apple’s new AI leaves out more than 90% of current iPhone users | Technologies

After nearly two years of waiting, Apple is finally on the path to generative artificial intelligence (AI), as announced by company CEO Tim Cook at a presentation at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). As Cook said at the start of his speech, “I’m excited about the new and deep capabilities we’re about to introduce that we hope will make our devices smarter and more useful than ever.” However, details that Apple later provided in keynote address and on their website they limit and clarify the scope of this technological leap, which will only be available to current iPhone users who have one of the two most powerful models – 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max – and that in 2024 they will only reach those who speaks and writes American English.

The new Apple Intelligence system and the expected deep update to Siri, which will appear in the fall and in the testing phase with the new iOS 18 operating system, will leave more than 90% of current iPhone users on the sidelines if they do not buy a new smartphone. In the absence of official data from the tech company itself, it is estimated that there are around 1.5 billion active iPhone users worldwide; According to various analysts, sales of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max – the best-selling iPhones in the world – could already reach around 100 million units. So this won’t even cover 7% of the total Apple mobile phone users; and from this percentage we will have to exclude for the time being the non-American public.

Of these two iPhones, of the 24 models compatible with the new iOS 18, they will be able to perform Apple Intelligence functions such as summarizing all types of documents and notes, suggesting responses to messages, correcting the style of texts, transcribing phone calls. – features that other tech giants already offer – or even create new emojis and images from scratch with a few simple instructions. Other iPhones will also not have access to the updated Siri, which will be able to understand requests much better, maintain a conversation thread with the user, or ask ChatGPT to resolve any issues that are out of its reach. The explanation Apple gave in its presentation on Monday is that in order to add this “personal intelligence” – as the company calls it, rather than artificial intelligence – and maintain privacy, responsiveness and ease of use, the calculations must be done in person. phone. ; and only models with A17 Pro (or higher) processors are capable of running large language models (LLMs) that support generative AI.

In addition to phones, Apple Intelligence and the new Siri will also be available on tablets and computers with Apple’s own processors – M1 or higher. In the case of the iPad, this will benefit five of the 15 models compatible with the iPadOS 18 operating system; while 13 of the 18 computer models compatible with macOS 15 Sequoia will be able to deliver on Cook’s promise to be “smarter and more useful than ever.” Apple began selling Mac computers with these processors in 2020, iPad Pro in 2021, and iPad Air in 2022. All iPad mini and iPad models. dry they are excluded from new smart features.

This leap to generative AI will not reach the Vision Pro mixed reality glasses, despite the fact that this is one of the most modern and advanced devices from the Apple company and is equipped with an M2 processor, the power of which is more than enough.

Promising features, but in the medium term

Although this was also very much expected on the Apple Watch, where the assistant works worse than on the iPhone, and on HomePods, which are only controlled by voice using “Hey Siri”, as are the sound systems that respond to calls. from “Alexa” or “OK ​​Google” – the new Siri will not appear on Apple watches, smart speakers, or video players at the moment.

The company has not provided any information on whether current models of various platforms outside the new AI system will be able to access any of its features in the future, either through processing on the device itself or by accessing the same network. private cloud computing, which Apple just unveiled and will be used to solve the most complex generative AI queries. There are also no details on when these features will arrive in other languages ​​such as Spanish, with the tech giant only offering the following warning: “Apple Intelligence will be available in beta in English in the US this fall. Some additional features, software platforms and languages ​​will be added next year.”

The lack of a new Siri in smartwatches and speakers has disappointed some of the Apple world’s most seasoned analysts. Jason Snell Six colors and former magazine editor MacWorld

– he said a few hours before keynote address: “When I go out for a walk, I usually only take my Apple Watch and AirPods with me. In theory, Siri has my back, but in general I never talk to her because she’s unreliable (on the watch).” Mark Gurman, Bloombergachieved a detailed leak of all key announcements keynote address A few days earlier, he predicted that Apple’s commitment to developing artificial intelligence would have the advantage that the company would be able to implement it on all of its devices, now he warns that this process will take years to produce results and be completed, and for now ” “It’s nothing more than a significant increase in sales of this year’s new iPhones.”

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