WWDC and AI
Well, it's that time again. We're just hours away from Apple revealing all of their plans, and while it seems rumors have told us all we need to know, I expect we'll still be surprised. Only, it's not what you think.
Apple is playing it safe. It wants to maintain user privacy and security by focusing on small local models. That means personal tasks, photo searches, natural language processing, and more proactive tools. Tim Cook isn't going to walk out and claim Apple has built the AI from "Her" because that would look rather foolish.
The biggest problem Apple faces going into WWDC this year is people's perception and misconceptions around so-called "artificial intelligence." I expect the keynote will focus on hedging around the term while focusing on the practical benefits brought by the technology. AI is not intelligent. It is only as good as its existing dataset, programming, and user input.
It doesn't take much to excite me with technology. I like that we're getting more cross-app functionality like Calculator in Notes and Reminders in Calendar. Add some fancy AI tools on top, and things could get interesting.
"Apple Intelligence" won't be some broken search tool that surfaces Reddit posts that say to eat glue on pizza. It won't be a chatbot that you can trick into giving you instructions for building a pipe bomb. And that's a good thing, even if people will call it "boring."
Thinking back to "Her," if you've never seen the movie, it's worth watching. While the story revolves around the relationship forming between a lonely man and a program, there are a lot of fun, forward-looking concepts that seem novel, even in 2013. In one scene, the program offers to delete unneeded emails and sort his file system – all things we're weirdly excited to see with today's AI. (I mentioned this on the latest AppleInsider Podcast)
Tools are meant to make our lives easier. Having a tool that takes some of the thinking tasks away from me so I can focus on the work that matters is quite a compelling idea. And I believe that's the angle Apple will take. Safe, boring, and less likely to be plagued by hallucinations.
If I'm able to dump a bunch of data into Apple's AI and have it act as a proactive assistant that gets mundane tasks done faster while remaining accurate, it's a win. It isn't flashy, but it's necessary.
That said, I expect Apple will have at least one big mic drop moment. There's likely at least one model, perhaps the one for Spotlight and Siri search, that will blow the doors off of other existing models of its size. Other than that, Apple's integrations with third-party LLMs will steal the show. That's what people will be talking about the most. ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot.
Me? I'll be celebrating the new Passwords app, improved Shortcuts with AI script writing, and the improvements, if any, to iPadOS. I've not been too excited by AI so far, though I can respect the potential applications of the technology. But if anyone can make me excited for safe, boring models in iOS 18, it's Apple.
A tiny wishlist
- Expanded system-wide customization like Focus Modes and automation
- Third-party apps can add Control Center buttons
- The ability to edit your Apple Music algorithm or, at least blacklist certain playlists or albums
- Podcast recording on iPad (without the hoops)
- A commitment to continue improving Stage Manager
- A Stage Manager API for window sizes and locations
- Apple Vision Pro window automation
- Apple TV widgets
- theming Home Screen and system-wide accents similar to Google's Material You
- Apple builds in a universal clipboard or at least allows third-party ones on iPad
- AAA game in Apple Arcade
- Significant Apple Vision Pro game announcement (Beat Saber)
- Honestly, just make the AI useful and trustworthy, even if that means it's boring
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