Apple will reportedly soon announce AI-generated emojis and a partnership with OpenAI

Apple is scheduled to hold its annual developer event, WWDC24 , on June 11, 2024. Apple is expected to announce AI features at the event, and Bloomberg reports that one of the features will be 'AI-generated emojis.' In addition, there is also talk of the possibility that Apple will announce a partnership with OpenAI to provide AI features.

Apple iOS 18, macOS 15 AI Features: Project Greymatter, Privacy, OpenAI Deal - Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2024-05-26/apple-ios-18-macos-15-ai-features-project-greymatter-privacy-openai-deal-lwni63s3

Apple's WWDC may include AI-generated emoji and an OpenAI partnership - The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/26/24165040/apple-wwdc-2024-ai-openai-ios-18-macos-15-iphone-macbook

Report: Apple signs deal with OpenAI for iOS, still wants Google as an 'option'
https://www.androidauthority.com/apple-signs-deal-openai-iphones-3446254/

It has long been rumored that Apple is working on AI development, but Microsoft and Google are far ahead in the field. In this situation, Apple must hold WWDC24 and announce attractive AI features that will rival other companies.

Mark Gurman, a reporter familiar with Apple-related leaks, points out that the center of Apple's AI strategy is an AI tool called 'Project Greymatter. Project Greymatter is an AI that will be integrated into Apple's native apps such as Safari, Photos, and Notes, with low-computing AI functions running on the device and more processing-intensive functions running in the cloud.

Apple is expected to introduce new AI features in iOS 18 and macOS 15, both of which will include software that decides whether a task should be processed on-device or in the cloud. Most of the functions that can be processed on-device will likely be handled by chips in iPhones, iPads, and Macs released in the past year. Meanwhile, tasks that need to be processed in the cloud will be handled by the M2 Ultra chips on servers.

Apple reportedly developing new dedicated chips for AI data centers - GIGAZINE

Other features planned by Apple include transcription in the Voice Memos app, AI-powered photo retouching, faster and more reliable Spotlight searches, improved web searches in Safari, and auto-suggested replies to emails and text messages.

In addition, the voice recognition assistant Siri will also be upgraded with AI. Apple plans to upgrade Siri to enable more natural conversations based on its own large-scale language model (LLM), and it is expected that a more advanced Siri for working on the go will be installed on the Apple Watch. In addition, developer tools such as Xcode are also expected to be enhanced with AI.

One of the notable AI features is 'introducing generative AI to emojis.' Apple is developing software that will allow AI to instantly create custom emojis based on what users send in text messages. This will go beyond the emojis Apple provides on iPhones and other devices, and will allow users to use entirely new emojis in all sorts of situations.

Apple also plans to use AI to create summaries of web pages, news articles, documents, notes and other media.

Although it is not related to AI, Apple is also planning to improve the iPhone home screen in iOS 18. The new home screen in iOS 18 will allow you to change the color of app icons and place them wherever you like. For example, you can unify all social media app icons into blue, and all finance-related app icons into green. In addition, the 'strict rules for app placement' that have existed since Apple launched the iPhone in 2007 will be eliminated, allowing you to freely place apps wherever you like.

It has also been reported that Apple is developing its own chatbot, but it has been pointed out that this chatbot is not up to the standards at all. Therefore, Apple has been in discussions with Google and OpenAI to integrate chatbots into iOS 18. Ultimately, Apple will partner with OpenAI and announce this at WWDC24, Gurman points out. In addition, Gurman pointed out that 'Apple acknowledges that competing in the AI field is difficult. However, by signing a contract with OpenAI, Apple will have a cutting-edge chatbot, which will give it an advantage over Samsung smartphones that use Google's Gemini.'

Apple and OpenAI deal in final stages, ChatGPT expected to be included in iOS 18 - GIGAZINE

Apple reportedly adopts Google's Gemini to strengthen AI features for iPhones - GIGAZINE

However, partnering with OpenAI also comes with risks, Garman said. OpenAI has beensued by newspapers and artists for copyright infringement, and has also had a dispute with Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson over the recently announced GPT-4o .

Scarlett Johansson expresses her opinion that she is 'shocked and angry' about GPT-4o's new voice sounding similar to her - GIGAZINE

Gurman said Apple may not be satisfied with accepting OpenAI as the sole supplier of AI features for iOS, and that while Apple is continuing to discuss using Gemini with Google, it's not expected to be announced at WWDC24.