For years it looked like Apple was watching from the sidelines while Microsoft, Google and OpenAI raced ahead with AI.
Now Apple has made a very deliberate move back in with “Apple Intelligence”. It’s less about flashy chatbots and more about quietly rebuilding how the iPhone, Mac and iPad actually work.
A different kind of AI strategy
The first thing to know is that Apple isn’t trying to copy ChatGPT or Copilot. Its approach is:
- built into everything, not a separate app
- mostly running on your device, not in the cloud
- using your own context (emails, files, apps) to be useful
Apple describes it as combining generative AI with personal context to help you get things done across your apps. So instead of asking a chatbot, you’ll see AI turn up when you’re writing emails, summarising documents, editing photos, managing notifications or doing things across several apps.
In other words, AI becomes invisible, just part of the operating system.
What’s here already
Apple started rolling it out in late 2024, in stages rather than all at once. The first wave includes:
- Writing tools: rewrite, summarise and proofread text anywhere, including Mail, Notes and third-party apps.
- Smarter communication: email and message summaries, suggested replies, and priority sorting for your inbox and notifications.
- Photos: remove objects, search in plain language, and create images and “Genmoji”.
- Early Siri improvements: better understanding of context, more natural conversation and the option to type instead of talk.
Useful, but still fairly incremental so far.
The real reboot is still coming
The bigger story is what’s next. Apple is effectively rebuilding Siri from scratch using large language models, much like ChatGPT and Gemini. Based on current reporting, expect:
- A much smarter Siri: conversational, aware of context, able to follow tasks across apps and remember past conversations.
- Agent-style AI: not just answering questions but actually doing things and automating work across apps, more like a digital assistant than a chatbot.
- Deeper integration: AI woven through iOS, macOS and apps, so it’s less a list of features and more a smarter operating system.
There are also early reports that Apple is testing a redesigned “Ask Siri” experience, and even a standalone Siri-style interface, as part of this reboot.
What we’ve seen so far is just the foundation. The real change lands over the next 12 to 24 months.
Should you be excited?
If your team uses iPhones, iPads or Macs, it’s worth keeping an eye on. Apple’s on-device approach is good news for privacy, but as AI gets access to more of your emails and files, it’s just as important to make sure your Apple devices are properly managed and your business data is protected.
Running Apple devices in your business and want them properly managed and secured? Book a free health check, or call us on 0800 688 768.