In the world of virtual assistants, the introduction of generative AI chatbots has transformed the way we interact with our devices. Google’s Gemini kickstarted this trend, and now Apple is following suit by revamping its own AI assistant, Siri, at WWDC 2024.
Apple’s new Siri avatar is more conversational and equipped with superpowers such as summarization and direct integrations with apps. The AI assistant can now understand body gestures like head movements, allowing users to nod to accept calls or interact with notifications. Powered by machine learning through the H2 chip, Siri has become more intuitive and responsive.
The visual appearance of Siri has also been updated, featuring an active edge glow instead of the colorful sphere. Users can now summon Siri with a double tap at the bottom of the screen and ask thousands of questions about their Apple devices. Siri can also interact with apps using the App Intents API, pulling up photos or performing various tasks based on user commands.
Apple’s AI approach, known as Apple Intelligence, emphasizes power, intuitiveness, deep integration, contextual awareness, and privacy. The company aims to provide intelligence that truly understands user needs. Best of all, Apple Intelligence will be free and will include features like Genmoji, allowing users to create custom emojis using text prompts.
Other features of Apple Intelligence include the ability to generate movies, search for specific moments in videos, and suggest photo editing prompts. The AI assistant can also rewrite and summarize text across different apps for improved productivity. And with a focus on privacy, most AI tasks are handled on-device without relying on cloud processing.
Incorporating Smart Reply features in apps like Mail and Messages, Apple is taking steps to enhance user experience and streamline communication. The Apple Intelligence experiences will be gradually rolled out to users later this summer, offering a new and improved AI-powered assistant for Apple devices.
