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TOArtificial intelligence (AI) is coming to your iPhone soon, and Apple says it will transform the way you use your device. The iPhone maker’s AI tools, which will be released under the “Apple Intelligence” brand, include a turbocharged version of its voice assistant, Siri, backed by a partnership with ChatGPT owner OpenAI.
Apple isn’t the first smartphone maker to roll out AI. The technology is already available in smartphones including Google’s latest Pixel and Samsung’s Galaxy range.
However, the vast amounts of data AI requires are raising concerns about data privacy. Apple has built its reputation on privacy: its announcement says:Privacy. This is the iPhone” – so this is one area where the company claims to be different.
What is Apple Intelligence and when will it be available?
Apple Intelligence is the umbrella name for the iPhone maker’s artificial intelligence capabilities, including the ChatGPT-4o integration that comes with the iOS 18 software update.
The first iteration of iOS 18 will debut alongside Apple’s iPhone 16 models in September, but AI features will arrive later, in the iOS 18.1 update expected in mid- to late October.
The first Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.1 available in the beta include new writing tools, suggested replies in the Messages app, email summary, and phone call transcription.
Other features coming later this year or in early 2025 include Image Playground (the ability to create your own animated images within apps) and custom emojis, called Genmoji. Meanwhile, long-awaited AI improvements to Apple’s Siri chatbot include ChatGPT integration, a richer understanding of language, and deeper integration with individual apps. Siri will also be able to look at your calendar, photos and messages to better respond to texts — for example, you could ask when your mom’s flight lands and Siri would figure it out based on recent messages and emails, according to Apple.
Apple Intelligence is rolling out globally, but the features will face a significant delay in the EU and China due to regulatory concerns.
AI requires powerful hardware, so the features won’t be supported on older devices. According to Apple, you’ll need the iPhone 15 or later, or an Apple device using the M1 or M2 chip to access the full range.
How will my iPhone usage change?
The features will be rolled out slowly, so the immediate change won’t be drastic. However, once you’ve enabled Apple Intelligence, you should notice that your interactions become more personalized and tasks become faster. For example, you can use the summary tools to write emails on the go, and you’ll have the opportunity to record and transcribe phone calls For the first time, with the other person’s permission, of course. “Performing everyday tasks will be easier and more enjoyable,” says Adam Biddlecombe, co-founder of the artificial intelligence newsletter Mindstream.
Like ChatGPT, Apple’s smart assistant will develop the ability to offer contextual responses, that is, remember the thread of a previous conversation with Siri. As for privacy, a new visual indicator around the Siri icon will let you know when it’s listening.
But it’s worth noting that like any shiny new technology, Apple’s AI could have some glitches when it’s released. AI models need data to work, and while the technology is improving, even Apple’s CEO Tim Cook admits that he is not “100% sure” that Apple Intelligence does not hallucinate“I’m sure it will be very high quality,” he said in a recent interview. “But honestly, I would say it’s not 100%. I would never say it’s 100%.”
So unless you have complete confidence in the accuracy of chatbots, you may want to double-check the airline’s website to confirm when your mom’s flight will land.
How is ChatGPT on my iPhone different from using the ChatGTP app?
Apple will use ChatGPT as a backup and to power features it can’t handle on its own. You’ll ask Siri the question, but if Apple’s chatbot can’t handle more complex requests, it will pass the baton to ChatGPT.
The same goes for compose text and create imagesWhile Apple Intelligence offers these capabilities, ChatGPT can write letters and create images from scratch, something Apple isn’t all that good at yet.
The key difference between the app and ChatGPT on your iPhone is how your data is handled, says Camden Woollven, head of the AI group at consultancy GRC International Group. “When you use ChatGPT directly, your queries go directly to OpenAI’s servers – there’s no middleman.”
However, he says, when using Siri’s ChatGPT integration, Apple acts as a “privacy-focused middleman.”
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“Siri tries to handle your request directly on your device and, if it can’t, it sends some data to Apple’s servers, but in an encrypted and anonymous way,” he explains.
If both your device and Apple’s servers can’t fulfill the request, Siri reaches out to ChatGPT. “But even in that case, your request is first sent to Apple, anonymized and encrypted, and only then does it reach OpenAI,” Woollven says. “So with Siri, your data gets an extra layer of privacy protection that you don’t get by using ChatGPT directly.”
Users can access Siri with GPT-4o for free without creating an account, and ChatGPT subscribers can connect their accounts and access paid features such as a larger message limit and the ability to access enhancements including the new Voice Mode, which allows you to communicate with ChatGPT using real-time video.
Are my conversations tracked or stored anywhere, and if so, by whom?
Apple says privacy protections are built in for users accessing ChatGPT. Most of the processing will happen on your device, so the data will never leave your iPhone.
Your IP address is hidden and OpenAI will not store requests. ChatGPT’s data usage policies apply to users who choose to connect their account.
For more complex queries that require the cloud, Apple says it will anonymize and encrypt your data end-to-end before sending it to its servers or to ChatGPT. “This means that not even Apple or OpenAI should be able to see the content of your requests, only the encrypted and anonymized version,” Woollven says.
However, even anonymous data can be linked to you if it is specific enough, Woollven warns. “So even if Apple doesn’t directly store your conversations in a way that is linked to you, there is still a small risk that a very specific query could potentially be linked to you.”
More generally, any intelligence requests from Apple that need to be processed from your device will be sent to the company’s private cloud. Private Cloud Computingwhich aims to protect your data from external sources.
Apple says it will be transparent about how your data is used. It will provide you with a detailed report about your device, called an Apple Intelligence Report, that shows how each of your requests to Siri was processed, so you can see for yourself what data was used and where it went.
That said, AI requires vast amounts of information to operate, and to power these functions, Apple needs access to more data. “Apple will be able to read your messages, monitor your calendar, track your maps and location, record your phone calls, view your photos, and understand any other personal information,” Moore says.
I’m not sure about this. Can I opt out?
Yes, you need to turn on Apple Intelligence in Settings. So whether you’re concerned about data privacy or skeptical about the accuracy or usefulness of these features, you’re not obligated to use them.
