APPLE'S GATEWAY TO THE FUTURE: BRINGING AI INTO THE EVERYDAY WITH IOS 18

You can’t pick up a newspaper or magazine these days without seeing an article about Artificial Intelligence (AI). Don’t get me wrong, it’s a subject of great importance, but more than that, the technology is in a state of flux right now, and that means endless hype – so much that, even when you feel like you’re out of the loop, you’re way ahead of the game. Apple is seen as a technology laggard when it comes to AI, trailing leaders such as OpenAI and Google, but they missed the boat a long time ago, and we – the users – are about to get the benefit of it all with iOS 18, coming soon to a WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) near you.

THE ETERNAL SAGA OF APPLE PLAYING CATCH-UP

Apple’s habit of falling behind – by one year – isn’t new. Proto-incarnations of the Apple Watch and the HomePod both had disastrous starts that presaged market dominance or Apple-level prominence. In the context of obvious leaps forward lately from OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft in AI, the story before WWDC is once again a version of the familiar tale. Or, is this false start a tactic for stringing us along toward something better?

UNVEILING APPLE'S AI EDGE

Apple’s strength is not in what its hardware can do but in the way that its ecosystem and user-centred design philosophy is integrated with that hardware. Where the likes of Google and Meta are focused on each major technological advance that will revolutionise what can be achieved in a single demo, Apple focuses on how AI can be brought into our daily lives. Its flagship iOS 18 release promises to live up to the company slogan by showing off artificial intelligence that is robust enough to become a utility, but integrated well enough that the technology just melts away and simply makes our lives easier.

IOS 18: A NEW CHAPTER IN AI ACCESSIBILITY

The jump to iOS 18 is far less an upgrade and far more a revolution in accessibility. Emojis created at the prompt of text prompts, or apps rapidly coded, or personalised health coaching delivered, all powered by AI. Apple’s philosophy is to embed AI into the fabric of everyday life by making its utility so indiscernible as to disappear.

SIRI'S EVOLUTION AND BEYOND

With Siri, we can expect an upgrade to a system that not only responds to requests but also actively anticipates them and becomes a seamless part of the iOS ecosystem. AI features built into iOS 18 are not just about implementing new technology but about finding new ways for humans to collaborate with their technology.

TOWARDS A MAINSTREAM AI REVOLUTION

At WWDC, we might hope for speculative revelations. The revolution, though, will be in the way that the new AI becomes part of systems and apps that millions use. Apple could change AI’s cultural standing from a specialist gadget to a necessity – ubiquitous as the smartphone itself.

THE DAWN OF A NEW ERA WITH IOS 18

Now, with the launch of iOS 18 and its suite of AI features, we’re at the cusp of a new era – a future where AI is no longer a utility for technologists, but is an assistant for all. When Apple launches its AI vision at the WWDC, it’s not the technology that matters but what that technology allows us to do. How can it make our lives better, simpler, enriching?

THE QUINTESSENCE OF APPLE

But at its best, Apple is also innovation, simplicity and a not-always-appreciated mania for making things easy and enjoyable to use. From the iPod to the iPhone, Apple has repeatedly changed everything about how we use our tools for sound and image, personalising and demystifying, and making gadgetry close to us, more delightful and almost indispensable. And while now a little late, it might finally be Apple’s turn to give AI rules of use a standard, paradigmatic definition with the introduction of iOS 18.

It’s not only to admire every specific product Apple makes, but to recognise that with the iPhone, iPad and the iLife suite, it has once again changed the rules of interaction between humans and technology. If you imagine your own AI future, it’s a good place to start envisioning something that’s truly integrative, and that is focused not on the underlying technologies but on how they serve people in richer, deeper, more ordinary ways.