At its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on Monday, Apple Inc. introduced a series of incremental AI-driven features and a fresh design overhaul across its operating systems, signaling a cautious but strategic shift in its artificial intelligence ambitions.
While competitors tout bold AI visions, Apple focused on practical, behind-the-scenes improvements. These include live call translations, automatic call screening, and Visual Intelligence enhancements that help users identify and purchase items seen online. The company also debuted Apple Intelligence, a large language model (LLM) accessible to third-party developers for on-device use. However, its capabilities remain limited compared to cloud-based AI models due to a smaller parameter count of approximately 3 billion.
Apple has also confirmed a partnership with OpenAI, integrating ChatGPT-powered image generation into its new Image Playground app, which comes with strong privacy assurances: user data won’t be shared without permission. Additionally, developers can now choose between Apple’s native code-completion tools and OpenAI’s offerings within Apple’s developer platforms.
Despite these announcements, some analysts found the updates underwhelming. Creative Strategies CEO Ben Bajarin noted Apple’s AI strength lies in the back-end, an area less visible to users. Investing.com analyst Thomas Monteiro warned that Apple risks falling behind as AI innovation accelerates elsewhere. Apple’s shares dipped 1.2% following the event.
A major design revamp was also announced. The new “liquid glass” aesthetic features semi-transparent icons and menus unified across iPhones, Macs, and iPads. Apple will abandon sequential OS version numbers in favor of year-based naming, simplifying its product ecosystem.
The company also introduced familiar Mac features, such as multitasking and a menu bar, to iPads, hinting at a shift in how Apple may position its devices moving forward.
Meanwhile, OpenAI, Apple’s AI partner, announced it had reached a $10 billion annualized revenue run rate, underscoring its rapid growth and industry momentum.
