Apple has officially rolled out its new artificial intelligence (AI) tools, known as Apple Intelligence, designed to assist users with tasks such as writing, emailing, and photo curation. Apple CEO Tim Cook heralded the launch as “the beginning of an exciting new era” in a recent post on X. However, many users in the UK may face initial challenges in accessing these features due to necessary settings adjustments.
To install Apple Intelligence, users with compatible devices—including the iPhone 16, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad equipped with A17 Pro or M1 chips, and Mac computers with M1 or later—must follow specific steps:
- Download the latest system update, iOS 18.1, from the settings menu.
- Change the device language and Siri settings to English (US) and restart the device.
- After restarting, navigate to the Apple Intelligence section in the settings to join the waitlist. Users may need to wait a few hours for the features to begin installing.
The latest update introduces several new AI functionalities. For instance, when composing emails, texts, or documents, users can benefit from AI-driven suggestions, including smart replies and adjustments to the tone of their writing. Notably, one user shared that a paragraph was rewritten by Apple Intelligence to sound friendlier.
In the Photos app, users can now search using more natural language in the memories section. However, during a test conducted by Sky News, the AI struggled to match phrases like “kitties napping in the sun” with relevant images on the device.
Another feature, the “clean up” tool, allows users to remove unwanted people from photos. While this capability is new to iPhones, competitors have offered similar functions for some time. One user remarked on X that their Pixel 4 XL had been performing better in this regard for over a year.
While Apple Intelligence marks a significant technological step forward for the company, it may not be seen as groundbreaking compared to rival offerings from Google and Samsung, both of which introduced their AI systems earlier this year. Apple’s delay was reportedly due to its focus on enhanced security features. Most AI requests will be processed directly on users’ devices, with complex tasks being sent to Apple servers encrypted and anonymized for privacy.
Looking ahead, a full version of Apple Intelligence is expected to roll out in December, which will integrate Siri with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. If the AI cannot fulfill a user’s request, it will redirect it to the chatbot, with users being notified if their query is being sent outside of Apple’s systems.
