Rumours have been bubbling for a few months now that artificial intelligence is expected to be a major focus for this year’s iOS 18 update from Apple. The latest reports suggest Siri will get an AI upgrade when announced at WWDC. But could we also see HomeKit with AI driven improvements?
According to a new Financial Times report Apple is planning for AI to be a big part of Apple’s iOS 18 focus. According to the FT, Apple has been making small AI acquisitions and quietly hiring staff with AI experience in the past several months. The report also goes on to to say, nearly half of Apple’s current job openings mention deep learning.
The report suggests that generative AI and an updated version of the Siri assistant that’s powered by its AJAX large language model. With further suggestion the company has developed technology that would allow AI to “see” what a person is looking at and identify the object.
Privacy and AI Apple features
Given Apples long standing stance on Privacy, it’s rumoured that the true focus of Apple’s efforts appears to be running generative AI directly on the iPhone, rather than handing off private data to servers. This move would not. only boost privacy, but it will speed up processing time of requests.
While Apple is late to the game, Apple will still take a cautious approach and accordion Mark Gurman latest Power On newsletter for Bloomberg, he teased a number of initiatives that Apple reportedly will unveil at its 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference.
Apple is aiming to incorporate AI features such as auto-summarising and auto-completing into its core apps and productivity programs, including Pages and Keynote. Following that, Apple aims to integrate AI into services like Apple Music, with the intention of automating the creation of playlists. Lastly, but certainly not least, Apple is planning a significant overhaul for Siri, as reported by Gurman.
For developers, Apple is developing new versions of Xcode and other programming tools that will utilise generative AI to assist users in completing code.
Apple HomeKit and AI
In the ever-evolving landscape of smart home technology, Apple’s HomeKit and Artificial Intelligence AI joining forces to create a seamless and intelligent living experience is the natural next step.
One of the ways is integrating AI with HomeKit providing the ability to create intelligent and context-aware automation. AI algorithms can learn user habits, preferences, and routines, allowing the smart home to anticipate and respond to the residents’ needs. For example, the lights can adjust to the optimal brightness based on the time of day, or the thermostat can adapt to the preferred temperature when it senses someone is at home.
Moreover, the Apple Home app, which serves as the central hub for managing HomeKit-enabled devices, could be more powerful when infused with AI capabilities. It can provide insightful suggestions and automations based on user behaviour, making the entire smart home experience more personalised and efficient.
In the context of energy efficiency, AI-powered HomeKit devices can optimise energy consumption by learning patterns of usage and suggesting adjustments to reduce waste. This not only contributes to a greener lifestyle but also leads to cost savings over time.