Leak reveals new AI features coming to Apple’s Safari

Apple is planning on giving iOS 18 an AI infusion and according to information obtained by AppleInsider, the company is in the process of testing some new features for the mobile Safari browser used on the iPhone. Apple is reportedly looking at making some changes to Safari’s UI, adding next-generation tools for blocking content, and a feature called Intelligent Search that would be powered by AI. Another possible new AI tool on the browser would use AI to summarize content on a website.

The summarization would be driven by Apple’s on-device Ajax large language model (LLM). Using on-device AI instead of connecting to a cloud-based server would allow for faster responses while keeping the privacy of the user. The feature will read the text on a website and pull out the main points while providing a summary of what the text is trying to convey.

A web eraser could allow Safari users to remove certain parts of a website that they are viewing. This would include text, images, and even ad banners. Safari might be able to remember the settings and remove the selected sections on other websites even if the user closes the browser or leaves the original website. A badge or some type of box will be placed on Safari to alert the user that the website currently being viewed has been modified. Safari will also allow the user to return to viewing the original, unchanged website.

An AI makeover could also allow Safari and other apps to identify consumer products by broadening the capabilities of Visual Look Up and adding the feature to other system apps. Visual Look Up can currently identify pets, popular landmarks, and plants from images in the Photos app. If this report is correct, the enhanced Visual Look Up will come to the iPhone sometime in 2025 and will deliver to users the name of a product. The feature could possibly share to users information about where they can find this product and the cost to purchase it. While Visual Look Up is limited to Safari at the moment, Apple could expand its presence to other apps including Safari.

We will know more about Apple’s AI initiative on June 10th when the tech giant introduces iOS 18 at the WWDC 2024 developer conference. The event kicks off at 7 am PT/10 am ET.

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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.