Apple Delays Launch of AI Features by Several Weeks

Apple had planned to launch its Apple Intelligence AI features by October alongside software updates, according to sources cited by Bloomberg. 

The new AI-based tools will appear several weeks after the scheduled September release of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, the agency noted. Meanwhile, software developers will gain access to Apple Intelligence as part of the beta version of iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 this week. 

The release strategy for the AI functionality is unusual, as the company typically does not release a test version of the next update before the public release of the previous upgrade. 

On June 10, at the WWDC 2024 presentation in Cupertino, Apple announced Apple Intelligence, noting that AI would debut in iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia on devices such as iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad, and Mac with M1 chips or newer. The iPhone 15 and earlier generation smartphones will not receive this feature. Bloomberg’s information suggests that the artificial intelligence will not be available until the next update of the new OS.

The agency highlights that Apple’s new plan implies the absence of Apple Intelligence in the initial models of iPhone 16. A software update will be required a few weeks later to gain access to the artificial intelligence.

Apple Intelligence includes a range of AI features such as notification prioritization, web page and voice note summaries, tools for writing enhancement, Siri updates, and integration of OpenAI’s ChatGPT. 

Bloomberg notes that even after updating the OS to iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1, not all Apple Intelligence features will be immediately available. Some of the most significant changes to Siri will appear later — by the end of 2024 or in the first half of 2025. 

Apple Intelligence will not be launched in the EU in 2024 due to “regulatory uncertainty.”

Earlier, media reported on the tech giant’s work on integrating AI into the Vision Pro mixed reality headset.