Apple Reinvents AI as ‘Apple Intelligence’: Can it Catch Up?

At WWDC 2024 outlined its vision for AI, announced plans to rollout Vision Pro into new markets including Europe, and unveiled plentiful OS updates for its devices.

Apple’s WWDC (World Wide Developer’s Conference) has long been the company’s main showcase event and where it publicly announces a good proportion of the new software (and in some cases hardware) it plans to debut during the rest of the year. With a dedicated iPad event held prior to this one, we were unlikely to see any further new hardware updates.

However, expectations for WWDC were high due to the new M4 chipset unveiled for the iPad Pro with the company touting its own AI capabilities. Also, on the most recent quarterly earnings call, Tim Cook teased future AI developments. As a result, despite significant OS updates for its devices, its moves in AI will grab all the headlines. To some, it may feel that Apple has succumbed to pressure to outline its AI strategy. In reality, though, this has been in the works for a considerable amount of time.

Reframing AI as ‘Apple Intelligence’, Apple announced a slew of AI-based features that it will integrate across all of its operating systems and devices later this year, effectively transforming the entire Apple ecosystem in one fell swoop.

We thought last year’s WWDC was a landmark event for the company with the introduction of Apple Vision Pro. Well, this latest edition has now eclipsed that, with Apple redefining AI in the Apple way and firmly placing it at the heart of its strategy. This is just the start. Apple Intelligence opens up new ways for everyone to communicate and interact with each other. What comes next will extend current devices and drive a new super cycle of devices across different form factors.