Apple rebranded its AI tech as “Apple Intelligence” to take some of the sting out of a technology that feels intimidating, futuristic and kind of freaky. The company’s approach promises to be more helpful, easy to use and deeply integrated into the operating system.
That includes an AI writing helper that can summarize or rewrite text in Mail, Notes and Safari. It also offers better photo editing like object removal and generates personalized images based on text prompts.
1. AI-powered emojis
In the short history of emoji, sparkly faces have been used to express excitement and magic. Branding new AI tools with a sparkle might help encourage people to experiment with the technology, countering some pessimistic perceptions about it.
Generative AI software has already been used to generate text and conversations that sound more human, remove objects from photos, and make weather forecasts more accurate. It’s also been used by social media influencers and content creators to create unique and personalized experiences for their followers, fostering engagement and loyalty.
According to a recent report from Bloomberg, Apple plans to introduce a new tool that can dynamically generate emojis for specific contexts, adding more personalization to digital communication. This is one of several new AI enhancements that are expected to be part of iOS 18—Apple’s upcoming mobile operating system. Other improvements might include the ability to transcribe voice memos and automatically retouch photos, as well as an improved Siri that can offer more natural-sounding responses to text messages and emails. Also, users might be able to customize app icon colors and arrange icons on their home screens more flexibly, moving away from a fixed grid layout.
2. AI-powered note taking
As AI becomes more prevalent on the mobile landscape, note taking apps that take advantage of it are becoming more and more popular. These applications can help improve organizational efficiency, provide writing assistance, and even help you brainstorm ideas.
At its developers conference on Monday, Apple showed off a range of ways it would use its artificial intelligence to make everyday tasks easier for consumers. For example, you can ask Siri to find a photo by describing it using natural language or use the new Memoji feature in Messages to create personalized emojis or cartoons to send friends.
Tactiq, an AI note-taking app, also uses AI to transcribe voice or video meetings and automatically sum up key insights from discussions in an easy-to-read document. You can then quickly go over and tweak the AI-generated notes to suit your needs. Moreover, Tactiq also automatically generates action items and delivers them in a clear and concise format so that you can get straight to work after the meeting. And, the app integrates with major video conferencing platforms for easy collaboration.
3. AI-powered email writing
AI is one of those buzzwords that you hear about often but might have some skepticism about how it could revolutionize your work. However, the truth is that AI writing is already making an impact in some business functions.
For example, AI email writing tools can automate your check-in and follow-up emails by analyzing past responses to find patterns in your writing style. It then generates drafts based on those templates to save you time. You can even customize those drafts with a few clicks. This tool can help you get to Inbox Zero faster and keep your communication consistent while still sounding like you.
Other email writing tools like MailerLite offer an AI writer that helps you write the perfect subject line and body content for your emails. It also offers a free trial and integrations with popular email tools like Gmail, Zoho and Zapier.
Another option is Lavender, an AI that’s built specifically for cold emailing and sales outreach. It has an impressive set of features including a knowledge base, an AI-powered email assistant and an advanced shared inbox.
4. AI-powered photo editing
AI-powered photo editing tools are reshaping the landscape of photography, making it easier for everyone to create professional-quality images. Features like style transfer let anyone apply iconic artistic styles to their photos with a single click, while color grading and intelligent object detection offer countless possibilities for creative exploration.
Other handy AI-powered tools include artifact removal, upscaling, and facial recognition. Using these advanced image manipulation algorithms can save photographers hours of work and effort by automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks, freeing them up to focus on their larger creative vision.
However, a heavy dependency on AI might mean that editors become out of touch with manual editing techniques that are core to many artistic processes. It also raises concerns about image plagiarism and piracy, as AI can easily replicate existing styles and recreate images, blurring the lines between inspiration and imitation. This is why it’s important to label any artificially edited content so that it’s clear to consumers where the line is drawn.
5. AI-powered video calling
The same face-scanning technology that helps distinguish your face from others for biometric security on your phone also makes video calls clearer. Snapchat filters and lenses use it, as does Microsoft’s new Edge browser which upscales videos on webpages automatically.
AI-powered video calling is rapidly transforming the way we work and communicate remotely. From meeting note taking to virtual whiteboards, voice-to-text transcription and presenter tracking features, video conferencing AI can automate time-consuming tasks and improve the overall experience.
This includes recognizing when someone has monopolized the conversation or is going off-topic, automatically sending out reports after meetings and scheduling multiple meetings for people in different time zones, automatically adjusting volume to minimize background noise or auto-muting attendees during presentations and more.
AI is also streamlining post-meeting processes by generating meeting summaries for easier follow-up and increasing productivity. AI-powered video conferencing apps can even help with scheduling meetings by using online calendars and considering attendees’ time zones and facility usage metrics. It’s no wonder why telehealth, education and business apps are integrating this advanced technology.
