Apple to Unveil Core AI Tech for Developers

• Apple allows third-party developers access to its AI technologies.
• The company reveals a redesign for its operating systems featuring ‘liquid glass’.
• New enhancements include Call Screening and live translation for phone calls.

On Monday, Apple announced it will provide third-party developers with access to the underlying technology behind its Apple Intelligence, along with a major redesign of its operating systems.

The presentations at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference emphasized practical updates—like live translations during phone calls—aimed at enhancing daily usage rather than the bold AI aspirations being promoted by competitors.

Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, indicated that the company is making its foundational AI model available to outside developers.

“We needed more time to ensure these features met our high standards,” he mentioned, referencing delays in enhancements to Siri, Apple’s virtual assistant.

During a demonstration, Apple showcased how partners could enhance its apps by integrating image generation from OpenAI’s ChatGPT into its Image Playground app, assuring users that their data would not be shared without consent.

As CEO Tim Cook and other top executives opened the annual software conference, Apple faces significant technological and regulatory hurdles.

Following the start of the conference in Cupertino, California, the company’s stock, which had been stable beforehand, decreased by 1.5%.

Federighi also announced plans to completely redesign all of Apple’s operating systems.

This redesign, described as “liquid glass,” features partially transparent icons and menus, made possible by the more powerful custom chips in Apple’s devices compared to those from ten years ago.

The updated design is set to apply to operating systems on iPhones, Macs, and other Apple devices. Additionally, each operating system version will now receive year-based names, replacing the previous sequential numbering, simplifying what had become a confusing naming system.

In new features, Apple presented “Call Screening,” where iPhones automatically answer calls from unknown numbers, prompting the caller to state their reason for the call. Once the purpose is shared, the iPhone displays a transcription and rings for the owner.

Furthermore, Apple will introduce live translation for phone calls, allowing developers to incorporate this technology into their applications, with the functionality not requiring the caller to be using an iPhone.

Apple’s Visual Intelligence app, designed to help users discover similar products to those their iPhone camera is pointing at, will now extend its capabilities to analyze items displayed on the iPhone screen, linking them to existing applications.

For instance, if a user spots a jacket online, they can use this feature to locate similar options available for purchase within an app installed on their iPhone.