It looks like iOS 18 will catch the iPhone up to Android phones in terms of AI

Apple is all set to introduce the iOS 18 version at its annual Worldwide Developer Conference in June. It is said to arrive as the biggest update to iOS since the inception of the iPhone in 2007. The biggest highlight of the new iOS iteration will be the inclusion of several new AI features. A few weeks ahead of launch, a report suggests that the first set of iOS 18 AI features will be handled locally

iOS 18 AI features will utilize on-device AI power

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the first set of iOS 18 AI features for iPhones will be handled locally. These features will run utilizing the on-device AI power of the iPhones and won’t require cloud servers. Based on Apple’s large language model (LLM), the initial wave of AI features will not require a cloud processing component. So, it’s unlikely the initial builds of iOS 18 will not have a ChatGPT or Copilot-like chatbot.

Gurman suggests that since the AI features will be handled locally on the iPhone, they should run quickly and smoothly. In addition, the information processed through these AI features will be more private as it won’t communicate with a cloud service.

Cloud computing-based AI features are also on the way

It’s worth mentioning that Samsung’s Galaxy AI allows users to choose whether to run certain features locally or via the cloud. Apple could also offer similar functionality for some AI functions in the iOS 18 update. Gurman also mentioned that Apple will offer new cloud computing-powered AI features at some point later this year.

These features are said to utilize already available third-party language models like OpenAI’s GPT, Google’s Gemini, and Baidu’s AI. The particular AI language model will vary from market to market. Notably, Apple could also offer its own cloud-based generative AI language model instead of third-party models. However, the brand’s model could come at a later stage after the rollout of the first set of iOS 18 AI features.

The first iOS 18 update is expected to enhance existing Apple services by integrating on-device AI capabilities. The brand’s apps and services like Siri, Spotlight, Safari, Apple Music, and more are expected to be supercharged by AI soon.