SAN JOSE (ANN/THE STAR) – Apple’s new suite of AI features, available only in English until now, is being rolled out in new languages, including French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, Korean and Chinese.
Localised English for Singapore and India is also available. With the release of the iOS 18.4 operating system on iPhones, Apple’s proprietary AI software now supports ten languages, and is now also available to iPhone and iPad users in the European Union.
However Apple’s long-awaited AI-powered reboot of Siri has still not been released. The company recently suffered a setback in its AI race with other tech giants.
The iPhone manufacturer is experiencing delays in launching its improved Siri assistant software. An Apple spokeswoman stated three weeks ago that the new, extensive AI features will only be available “next year,” even though the feature had been expected this spring.
The currently available features, marketed by the company as Apple Intelligence, can summarise emails and text messages, create personalised emoji symbols and retrieve information on demand.
For data privacy, most of the AI features operate locally on the mobile device, allowing users to avoid sending information to Apple’s servers.
For more intricate requests, a secured connection accesses Apple’s cloud service for greater computing power. Furthermore, users have the option to receive answers to their questions through OpenAI’s ChatGPT system online.
Initially, Apple’s AI system was unavailable in the European Union due to legal ambiguities stemming from the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
These EU regulations impose strict requirements on major tech firms, known as “gatekeepers,” obligating them to allow other providers access to their platforms and refrain from favouring their own services.
Apple had expressed concerns that these regulations might undermine the privacy and security mechanisms of its AI functions.
Following intensive discussions with the European Commission, Apple announced that the AI features would be made available in the EU with the release of iOS 18.4. The software was adapted to comply with European regulations.
Apple Intelligence is available on iPhones, supporting all iPhone 16 models as well as the two flagship models of the previous generation, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
The system is also compatible with Macs featuring Apple Silicon chips (M1, M2, M3 and their variants) and modern iPads with an M1 chip, as well as the iPad mini from the 7th generation (2024) with an A17 Pro chip and at least 8 GB of RAM. – dpa/Tribune News Service
