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Apple announced a major innovation at WWDC 2024: the planned integration of ChatGPT into the voice assistant Siri. This collaboration with OpenAI promises to significantly expand Siri's range of functions and offer Apple users advanced AI assistance. Below you will find all the important details about the planned integration, the current state of development, data protection and what challenges there could be for users in the EU.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become an integral part of modern technology and Apple is setting new standards with its planned ChatGPT integration. Many users are asking themselves: How does it all work? Is it safe? And what does it mean for us in Europe?
The ChatGPT integration with Siri
At WWDC 2024, Apple announced a major collaboration with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into Siri. This feature will be available as an option and will allow users to have complex questions answered directly via ChatGPT. This innovation will be introduced in the upcoming versions of iOS 18 and macOS 15, also known as “Sequoia”. The integration will be free and will complement the existing local “Apple Intelligence” functions. With iOS 18.1, Macrumors first hints of this future integration have been discovered in the program code. Although the functions are still rudimentary, a usable version is expected to appear with iOS 18.2.
Current state of development
Apple is currently testing the integration of AI functions in the beta version of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and macOS 15.1. The first functions, such as the so-called "Writing Tools", are already available. These make it possible to correct or rewrite texts. However, the ChatGPT integration is still in a very early development phase. A fully functional integration of ChatGPT is not expected before the release of iOS 18.2. Developers and volunteer testers can currently install the beta versions of the operating systems. However, the available functionality is still limited to basic local AI tools that have nothing to do with the actual ChatGPT integration.
More extensive capabilities via OpenAI servers
A key difference between the current "Apple Intelligence" functions and the planned ChatGPT integration lies in the way the AI works. While Apple Intelligence runs locally on the device, ChatGPT is operated via OpenAI's servers. This means that the calculations take place independently of the device's performance, as the answers are created via external servers. ChatGPT will work with the current GPT-4o model, which is able to generate extensive text passages or even create images based on user input. This is very different from previous Apple Intelligence functions, which are limited to correcting and transforming text or enable simple graphical implementations such as Genmoji and Image Playground. Another point is data protection. Apple has emphasized that communication with the OpenAI servers will only take place with the user's explicit consent. In addition, no additional user account with OpenAI is required, and the use of the ChatGPT functions is free of charge.
uncertainties in the EU
An important aspect concerns the availability of these new functions in the EU. Apple has already announced that the Apple Intelligence functions will not initially be offered in the EU because the legal situation is still unclear. It is currently not certain whether these restrictions also affect the ChatGPT integration. However, Apple has assured that it is working on solutions for the EU market. The company also plans to make the "Writing Tools" available in German by 2025.
ChatGPT in Siri: Advanced features without compromising privacy
The planned integration of ChatGPT into Siri represents a significant step in the further development of Apple's voice assistant system. The cooperation with OpenAI makes it possible to equip Siri with significantly more extensive capabilities that go beyond the previous functions of Apple Intelligence. What is particularly interesting is that the use of ChatGPT functions is free and data protection-friendly, as no personal data is passed on to OpenAI without consent. While the first indications of ChatGPT integration can already be found in the beta versions of iOS 18.1 and macOS 15.1, a fully functional version is not expected until iOS 18.2 and macOS 15.2. However, it remains unclear when exactly these functions will also be available in the EU. Until then, users can look forward to exciting new functions and comprehensive AI support from ChatGPT. (Image: Apple)
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