On October 28, Apple officially unveiled its new AI stack, Apple Intelligence, which promises to revolutionize the way users interact with their devices. However, early reviewers have expressed mixed opinions about the new features, citing a lack of polish and accessibility issues.
What is Apple Intelligence?
Apple Intelligence is an artificial intelligence (AI) system that allows users to refine their language skills through rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing text in various apps, including Mail, Messages, Notes, Pages, and third-party applications. The feature also enables users to engage in more natural conversations with Siri, Apple’s virtual assistant.
New AI-Related Features
Apple has introduced several new features as part of the Apple Intelligence stack:
- Writing Tools: Allows users to refine their language skills through rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing text.
- Natural Language Search: Enables users to search for photos using natural language descriptions.
- ChatGPT Integration: Users can access ChatGPT within Writing Tools and Siri to benefit from its image and document-understanding capabilities.
Early Reviewer Reactions
While Apple is touting the benefits of its new AI stack, early reviewers have expressed mixed opinions. Max Eddy, a writer for The New York Times, stated that "the highly touted AI-transformed future still seems a long way off." Julian Chokkattu, senior reviews editor at WIRED, shared similar sentiments, saying that life hasn’t changed much since the features arrived on his iPhone 16 Pro.
Accessing Apple Intelligence: A Complicated Process
To access Apple Intelligence, users must have an Apple Intelligence-compatible device and install the latest software version. For United States-based users, joining a waitlist is also required. Other users may need to change their region and language settings to English US before accessing the feature.
A Sloppy Rollout?
X user Mikey described Apple’s rollout as the "sloppiest" ever, while X user Tsaid that Apple should have waited until the AI tools were fully functional and accessible to all users. Apple made no mention of a waitlist in its initial announcement.
Delayed Release
Apple Intelligence was initially scheduled for release in September but has been delayed. The company is expected to roll out additional features, including a visual intelligence experience feature that will allow users to learn about objects and places instantly.
Future Developments
In the coming months, Apple plans to introduce new features, such as:
- Priority Notifications: A feature that draws on a user’s personal context to deliver tailored intelligence.
- Visual Intelligence: A feature that allows users to interact with information in real-time using their camera.
Privacy Measures
As part of its privacy measures, Apple is allowing users to choose whether to integrate ChatGPT for the new Writing Tools and advanced Siri features.
Key Takeaways
- Apple’s AI stack, Apple Intelligence, has been met with mixed reviews from early testers.
- The feature promises to revolutionize language skills through rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing text.
- Accessing Apple Intelligence requires an Apple Intelligence-compatible device and the latest software version.
Conclusion
While Apple Intelligence holds promise, its rollout has been marred by accessibility issues and a lack of polish. As the company continues to develop and refine this feature, it remains to be seen whether it will live up to its hype.