Robert Triggs / Android Authority
TL;DR
- The initial rollout of Apple’s AI capabilities in iOS 18 will reportedly work entirely on-device and keep user data local.
- This on-device approach emphasizes privacy but can limit access to more advanced AI capabilities, which often require cloud support.
- Apple could potentially address this issue with third-party cloud-based AI capabilities.
As Google and Samsung increasingly integrate AI features into their flagship smartphones, Apple is poised to follow suit with the release of iOS 18. bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Initial rollout of Apple’s AI capabilities will work entirely on users’ devices, eliminating the need for cloud-based processing.
“As the world waits for Apple’s big AI announcement on June 10th, it looks like the first wave of features will work entirely on-device. “That means there’s no processing component, no software to power the new functionality,” Garman explained.
Apple’s decision to focus on local processing of AI capabilities has both benefits and potential limitations. On the other hand, users can expect faster responses and more privacy since their data remains on the device. However, this approach can also limit access to the powerful cloud-based resources needed for advanced AI capabilities.
By the way, Samsung’s Galaxy AI also includes offline features such as translation and input suggestions. Google has also developed a Gemini Nano AI model intended to run on devices.
However, even on the most advanced smartphone hardware, it is difficult to run state-of-the-art large-scale language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT without additional cloud support. As a result, some of Samsung and Google’s most sophisticated AI capabilities still require the power of cloud servers.
Garman suggests that Apple could address this issue by incorporating cloud-based functionality leveraging Google Gemini or a similar provider. Samsung’s Galaxy AI lets you choose between cloud-based and on-device models for certain features. The latter may result in lower quality results and limited functionality, but provides a privacy-oriented alternative.
Apple’s focus on on-device AI processing strongly suggests that the company will leverage this approach to strengthen its reputation for strict user privacy protections.
iOS 18 promises a series of generative AI enhancements across Apple’s app ecosystem. Rumors point to improvements to Spotlight search, Siri’s ability to handle complex questions, and powerful image editing tools in the native Photos app.
Apple will announce iOS 18 and its AI capabilities at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which will be held from June 10th to June 14th.
