On Wednesday, Apple unveiled a beta version featuring a range of Apple Intelligence tools, notably its long-anticipated integration with ChatGPT. The tech giant announced its plan to enter the artificial intelligence space this summer and is gradually introducing its features to users. Investors are optimistic that these AI capabilities will drive a surge in iPhone upgrades, as they will only be accessible on newer devices. Apple Intelligence has been available in previews for developers and early users, but the official public rollout is set for next week with the official release of iOS 18. 1. The current batch of features is included in a beta version of iOS 18. 2 for developers that was launched on Wednesday. Typically, Apple developer betas undergo a multi-week testing period prior to public release. The iOS 18. 2 preview showcases several features, including: - New functionalities allowing users to specify how they want Apple Intelligence to rephrase selected text. - Genmoji, an emoji creation tool powered by Apple’s image generator. - Image Playground, another AI-based image generator from Apple. - Image Wand, which enables users to eliminate unwanted objects or distractions from photos. - Integration with OpenAI's ChatGPT. However, the long-anticipated functionality allowing Siri to perform actions within apps will not be included in this update but is expected to arrive soon. During the company’s developer conference, Apple demonstrated the ChatGPT integration. If Siri detects a question that could be better answered by ChatGPT, it will seek user permission to query ChatGPT.

Users do not need an OpenAI account to utilize this feature, and they can also employ ChatGPT to generate text in various input fields. Additionally, ChatGPT will be integrated into a feature dubbed Visual Intelligence, enabling the phone's camera to recognize text or objects and translate signage in real-time. This collaboration has proven advantageous for OpenAI, which is currently valued at $157 billion following a recent financing announcement. OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, was seen on Apple’s campus when the integration was made public, marking a significant moment following Microsoft’s own deep integration of OpenAI's models into its products. Despite this partnership, neither Apple nor OpenAI has disclosed the financial specifics, and Apple did not participate in OpenAI's recent fundraising. Apple executives have hinted that other AI models, including those from Google, may also find their way into Apple Intelligence in the future. Several features of Apple Intelligence are already being tested by the public and will be officially released next week as part of iOS 18. 1. The initial set of tools includes text rewriting capabilities, a refreshed Siri appearance, and notification summaries that condense multiple push notifications into concise statements.