Every June, Apple holds the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), bringing together programmers from all over the world. The opening of the 2024 event focused on innovations in artificial intelligence and the latest updates for the iOS, macOS, and iPadOS operating systems. Particular attention was paid to improvements in the operation of the Siri voice assistant. New devices were not presented at the conference – their presentation is expected this fall. We have prepared for you an overview of the main new products presented at WWDC 2024, and we invite you to familiarize yourself with them.
Apple Intelligence
The main event was the presentation of a new LLM called Apple Intelligence. This AI is capable of not only organizing notifications by importance but also editing text and creating visual images in applications such as iMessage, Notes, Keynote, Pages, and Freeform. iMessage has a smart replies feature that gives users the ability to choose the best wording for replies, as well as transcribe voice messages into text.
Smart Summarizing lets AI rewrite emails based on context and create quick summaries in apps like Safari and Mail. In the Image Playground application, users will be able to experiment with the generated graphics. Using AI, it will be possible to remove unwanted elements from photos. The GenMoji feature will allow you to create emoji based on text queries.
Significant improvements have been made to the Siri voice assistant, which is now able to analyze context, formulate queries faster, and provide more accurate answers. Content recognition support is limited to supported apps, where Siri can now identify and retrieve specific data (such as document numbers).
ChatGPT 4o support will be introduced soon on iOS, macOS, and iPadOS. This version of the chatbot will be available to all Apple users for free and without the need for registration. ChatGPT Plus subscription owners will be able to integrate their accounts into the system. Apple has confirmed that the data collected for artificial intelligence will not be sold to other companies. This year, AI will be available in English on iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, as well as iPad and MacBook with M1 chip and newer versions.
A Quick Look at Other WWDC Announcements
- visionOS 2: This OS update for Apple Vision Pro includes new 3D capabilities and new gesture controls that improve interactivity.
- iOS 18: The new version of the OS offers advanced settings for the home screen and control center, new features for iMessage, including message scheduling and text effects.
- iPadOS 18: iOS 18 updates bring new features to the iPad, including improvements to app design and new features for use with the Apple Pencil.
- macOS Sequoia. Integration with iOS and iPadOS has been expanded. Added options for managing notifications and interacting with the iPhone. Improved game developer tools to make it easier to port Windows games to Mac.
- watchOS 11. Innovations have affected the Fitness application. Users received the ability to customize data collection, new health-saving functions, and context-sensitive widgets.
- Audio and TV. New features for AirPods (head gestures to control playback, voice isolation). New to Apple TV+ (InSight for real-time cast and music detection).
Apple is responding to market challenges by introducing artificial intelligence technologies in response to the active use of similar technologies by competitors. The company has announced plans to support other generative AI models in the future. At the beginning of the year, Apple lost the title of the world's most valuable company to Microsoft, and last week fell to third place after Nvidia's market capitalization reached $3 trillion. After the presentation of Apple Intelligence, the company's shares rose sharply and surpassed the $200 mark, reaching an all-time high. Thus, Apple managed to regain second place in the ranking with a market capitalization of $3.1 trillion at the time of writing this news.