It’s not an operating system or an AI model, so what is it? Apple banks on customer loyalty to keep sales afloat as it teases out a vague future.
Apple is building its future on a suite of tools that are ill-defined at best. Apple Intelligence is not a new operating system or an AI model like GPT-4o. Best I can tell, it’s a curated collection of generative AI features grouped under the Apple Intelligence branding umbrella.
When Apple Intelligence was unveiled in June, the company defined it as a « personal intelligence system that puts powerful generative models at the core of iPhone, iPad, and Mac. » Essentially, it’s an AI that can do things for you.
During this week’s iPhone 16 launch event, Apple expanded that definition to call it a « personal intelligence system that combines the power of generative models with personal context to deliver intelligence that is incredibly useful and relevant. »
Did your eyes glaze over when reading that? Mine did. Perhaps Apple Intelligence is so far-reaching and revolutionary that there is no simple elevator pitch for it.
