iOS 18.2 Features: Apple Intelligence gets ChatGPT powered Siri, Visual Intelligence, Image Playground and more

The tech giant is also adding a new Compose button to Writing Tools that lets users ask ChatGPT to generate content for anything they are working on. While users won’t require a ChatGPT account to use some features, Apple says Open AI will not store any requests and use data to train its AI model.

In the coming months, Apple says Siri will be able to understand a user’s “personal context to deliver intelligence that’s tailored to them.” It will also have onscreen awareness and perform actions in first and third-party apps.

Image Playground is also available as a dedicated app. (Express Photo)

Image Playground

Teased at WWDC 2024, Image Playground is Apple’s AI-powered text-to-image generator. Apple says the new feature “allows users to easily create fun and unique images, with concepts like themes, customers, accessories, and places.

Users also have the option to add their text description to images or create images of their family members or friends from the photo library. Image Playground can also generate images in a wide range of styles including Animation including a 3D animated look and can even make illustrations with simple shapes, clear lines or colourblocking.

Integrated into the Messages app, Image Playground also works with other apps like Freeform, Keynote and more. In case you are wondering, Image Playground is also available as a dedicated app you can keep on your home screen.

Genmoji lets users generate an emoji using existing photos or text prompt. (Image Source: Apple)

Genmoji

Apple is also upping the emoji game with Genmoji, a new feature which enables users to generate an emoji from scratch by simply typing in a description in the emoji keyboard. Similar to Image Playground, users can also choose to use images from their photo library to generate emojis that resemble their family member or a friend.

Taking things up a notch, Apple says Personalised Genmoji can be customised with accessories like “a hat or sunglasses, and can reflect themes or activities to make them more personal and unique.” Like normal emoji, Genmoji can be used in messages or shared as a sticker or reaction.

Image Wand is now available in the built-in Notes app. (Image Source: Apple)

Image Wand in Notes

The built-in Notes app is also getting some AI treatment with Image Wand, a new functionality that lets you create images in notes using either written content or visual cues.

If you draw a sketch, Image Wand can transform it into “a polished image” by simply circling it. You also have the option to circle an empty space within a note and use Image Wand to gather context from the surrounding area to analyse the handwritten or typed text and generate images based on the description in various styles like Animation, Illustration and Sketch style.

Visual Intelligence can answer questions about an image and even extract information like email addresses and text. (Express Photo)

Visual Intelligence

Apple’s much anticipated Visual Intelligence for the iPhone 16 series is finally here. Using the Camera Control button on the latest iPhones, Visual Intelligence can help with things like summarising and copying text, translating between languages, and detecting phone numbers and email addresses.

Apart from this, the Camera Control button can now be also used to perform searches on Google to find items you come across and even ask ChatGPT to solve complex problems or ask an explanation about things like diagrams or notes.

Here’s what the new Describe Your Change button looks like. (Image Source: Apple)

New Describe Your Change button

Apple’s AI-powered writing tools already offer options like Rewrite, Proofread and Summarise, and now the company is adding a new “Describe Your Change” button that lets you control the part you want to change to make the writing more expressive.

Apple says you can also “add more dynamic action words to their resume or even rewrite a dinner party invitation in the form of a poem, and more.” The new feature works system-wide and is available in several third-party apps as well.