Apple’s iOS 18 is about to be released—the new iPhone update will be officially announced on June 10 at World Developers Conference. The rumor mill has been building for months, commentators included by Bloomberg Mark Gurman reports that iOS 18 will be the iPhone maker’s “biggest update ever.”
The release of iOS 18 is significant because it will see Apple introduce AI into the iPhone for the … [+]
The release of iOS 18 is significant because it will see Apple introduce AI to iOS for the first time. Here’s what you need to know about the new iPhone operating system coming soon.
iOS 18 will include cool new AI features
Apple has AI on the brain. The iPhone maker bought Canadian start up DarwinAI—a company that has developed technology that can make AI systems smaller and faster. “This could be useful for Apple, which is focused on running AI on devices rather than entirely in the cloud.” Bloomberg writes.
Meanwhile, Apple may pair with Google to allow Google Gemini to power a chatbot in iOS 18 and beyond, according to References. As Gurman puts it: “There are a lot of ethical and privacy issues in the world of artificial intelligence. By handing this technology over to third parties, Apple can blame them for everything and have far less responsibility.”
Apple CEO Tim Cook has been vocal about the iPhone maker’s AI goals, with the company reportedly spending $1 billion a year on research and hardware needed to run large language models. MacRumors writes.
So far, it looks like iOS 18 will lay the groundwork for artificial intelligence using the technology in Apple’s built-in apps. However, the main AI features in iOS 18 may be limited to the iPhone 16s, which will have more powerful chips.
Siri could also see AI improvements in iOS 18, with Bloombergit’s Gourmand reference that Apple will enhance the interaction between Siri and the Messages app so that it can autocomplete more efficiently as well as answer complex questions.
When iOS 18 is released, Apple has yet to confirm whether AI generation capabilities will be limited to the most secure on-device or deployed in the cloud. The other option would be a hybrid approach that would see sensitive data processed on the device.
Other iOS 18 Rumors
Apple’s iOS 18 will also include design changes and a more customizable home screen. Apple Maps will add support for custom routes, while standard RCS messaging will be added for iPhone users to more easily message those on Google’s Android.
With artificial intelligence at the forefront of iOS 18, Apple will take a close look at security and privacy. It’s possible that the iPhone maker will also introduce privacy features that will allow users to control AI features in iOS 18, so watch this space for more details.
