Apple Inc. released updates for its iPhone, iPad and Mac software today that include support for OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot alongside other enhancements to the company’s Apple Intelligence AI features.

The company announced the release of iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2 and MacOS Sequoia 15.2. In addition to ChatGPT integration, they include image generation features such as Image Playground, generative emoji with genmoji, and the ability to understand images.

Apple Intelligence is a collection of artificial intelligence features that Apple first detailed during its WWDC developer conference in June. The first features became generally available in late October, with most AI capabilities being built directly into the operating system and some acting as parts of standalone applications.

These features included AI-driven Writing Tools capable of proofreading and rewriting text and a new more reactive Siri voice and chat smart assistant that can interact with the whole screen.

With ChatGPT integration both Siri and Writing Tools will be able to call on OpenAI’s model for boosted intelligence. Users can now chat with Siri and ask more complex questions and the assistant will then ask to allow them to use ChatGPT. For example, they could ask Siri for help with a cooking recipe and use ChatGPT to generate a more lively, conversational response.

ChatGPT integration in Writing Tools, a systemwide capability that can generate text, users can connect to OpenAI’s chatbot to compose whatever they like. They can also ask ChatGPT to generate images alongside their written content.

Writing Tools is also getting an additional feature called Describe Your Change, which allows users greater control over the changes they want to make to their writing. For example, when rewriting they can describe the change to rewrite to be “more expressive,” or to “rewrite as a poem,” or “use more dynamic action words.” This feature is available systemwide across numerous apps that allow for written text.

Image Playground is a new feature with Apple Intelligence that allows users to type a prompt and the AI will produce an image with different styles. It has a dedicated image creation app and is integrated directly into Messages. It also allows iPhone users to create images in the likeness of family members or friends using photos from their image library.

Users can also create personalized emojis using what Apple calls genmojis or generative emojis by simply typing on the emoji keyboard. Apple Intelligence will use the prompt to create emojis based on the description and can use images from the user’s photo library. The personalized genmoji can also be further customized with accessories, such as hats, sunglasses and more. They can then be added to text messages or turned into stickers.

Users with any iPhone 16 model can use the camera on their phone to learn more about photographs and images visible to their phone using “visual intelligence.” This feature of Apple Intelligence can summarize, copy and translate text in the camera’s view. Users can also use it to grab phone numbers and email addresses.

Using ChatGPT integration, users can send pictures of buildings or products to get extra information. They could also point their phone at a particularly complicated diagram and use ChatGPT’s problem-solving skills to assist them in figuring it out.

According to Apple, users will not need an OpenAI account to access the ChatGPT integration, but it’s most likely there will be a limit to the number of queries that can be sent to OpenAI’s servers. Users will need an iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 16 model to use Apple Intelligence.

Apple Intelligence is now available in more regions outside of the United States including Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K., but only in English. Apple said additional languages including Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish and more will arrive throughout the year with an initial set planned for April.

Image: Apple