It’s now confirmed, well, pretty much. Apple will launch soon iOS 18 update will include AI features that will be fully processed on-device. When the iPhone 16 launches this fall, it will be a formidable combination that will offer revolutionary features, as well as security and privacy.
It’s because iOS 18 on iPhone 16 will provide all the AI features offered by Apple when it launches its updated software, in the most secure way possible.
Apple’s soon-to-be-launched iOS 18 update will include AI features that will be fully addressed on the … (+)
According to a recent report from Bloomberg, Apple is developing its own extended language model (LLM) to enable the generative AI features of the iPhone 16 series devices. Apple’s AI features are unlikely to be superior to those of its competitors, but the way it implements the technology could “still be a game changer.” Bloomberg Apple commentator Mark Gurman wrote in his To light up bulletin.
“Apple’s AI tools may be a little less powerful and less competent in some cases (the company could fill the gaps by partnering with Google and other AI vendors), but this approach will make much faster response times. And it will be easier for Apple to maintain privacy,” Gurman added.
This week, Apple introduced a set of tiny source-available AI language models, called OpenELM, that are small enough to run directly on a smartphone. Proof-of-concept research models could form the basis of Apple’s future on-device AI offerings, ArsTechnica writing.
Apple’s iOS 18 AI strategy
This fits with what we know so far about the iPhone maker’s AI strategy. Last year, Apple bought a Canadian start-up Darwin AIa company that has developed technology capable of making AI systems smaller and faster.
Apple’s AI features, including improvements to Siri and summary and autocomplete features in apps, should work better on the iPhone 16 when it launches. Indeed, Apple’s new iPhone, which will soon be launched, will include a more powerful chip capable of performing these AI features.
Apple’s next-generation A18 Pro chip for the iPhone 16 Pro models will feature a larger chip size for improved artificial intelligence performance, Jeff Pu, an investment analyst, reported MacRumors.
This could mean that iPhone 16 users will have access to more AI features, with less powerful devices only able to access the basics of iOS 18’s AI. After all, Apple previously limited the features to some iPhones, as it did when Dynamic Island launched on the iPhone 14.
Apple’s privacy differentiator
Apple has been differentiating itself for years when it comes to privacy and security. “Privacy. It’s Apple,” reads one of the iPhone maker’s ads.
Making a big deal about device processing is a great way for Apple to differentiate itself when it comes to AI, especially against its number one competitor, Google’s Android.
Google is not stupid, the tech giant also knows that people will be concerned about privacy when purchasing its AI features. Hybrid AI used by Samsung allows users to benefit from some of the privacy and security of on-device processing, combined with maximum functionality of AI features.
“This means simpler AI tasks processed on-device and, ideally, any tasks using personal and sensitive data also processed locally.” Forbes’ Zak Doffman writes. “Everything else, including searching or creating documents, will likely move to the cloud. »
On-device AI processing “aligns perfectly with Apple’s commitments to putting user privacy first,” says Jake Moore, global cybersecurity advisor at ESET. “By processing data locally on the device, it minimizes external transmissions and increases security, but when powerful enough, it also reduces latency for faster response times.”
“Embedded local processing also gives users greater control over their data and reinforces the important message of trust in a relatively new technology where data protection is paramount. »
It’s certainly a difficult balance to strike. Security versus functionality is an age-old issue, but it has never been more important than with the rapid growth and evolution of AI features coming to smartphones.
How much will remain on the device is difficult to determine at this point. Apple will reveal more about its AI strategy at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June.
It is quite possible that Apple will turn to Google or OpenAI for more complex off-device processing. But for now, it can tout its privacy and security credentials, with AI remaining entirely on the iPhone.
