Artificial intelligence is everywhere and the new iPhone was not going to be an exception with Apple Intelligence
There is no place on the internet we can look to in 2024 without coming face to face with Artificial IntelligenceEvery day new models, new websites and even new devices come out that include AI as an advertising claim. Apple Intelligence is here.
Samsung has already incorporated it for some models, Google continues to fight with Gemini on its Pixels which was presented a few weeks ago and now it is Apple's turn, with the so-called Apple Intelligence, the specific AI for the new iPhones.
Are you sure, Apple?
The new range of iPhones for this new season has just been presented, and as expected, The company has presented what was more than a rumor, it was a long-confirmed fact.: iPhones are going to bring artificial intelligence.
But let's see... It's Apple. The same Apple that took years to let users copy and paste files, the same one that keeps its phones with USB 2.0 and ultimately the same one that takes every step with a desperate feeling of lack of innovation.
And out of nowhere, they have fully immersed themselves in a technology that the people in charge don't seem to fully understand, but which, it must be admitted, sells like no other. AI is the new goose that lays the golden eggs and you have to take advantage of the slipstream.
The situation we are faced with is that the Apple Intelligence It doesn't seem to do much, or rather - and to be fair - it does do much, but it doesn't feel (like a lot of other presentations) like it's doing anything new.
What's new in Apple Intelligence
Let's give some examples of what they said this "new artificial intelligence" offers:
- – Rephrase text fragments.
- – Summarize emails and messages.
- – Generate fake emojis and graphics.
- – Find photos of people, places and events.
- – Search for information.
Tim Cook —the boss— said at the beginning of the presentation that the Apple Intelligence's "revolutionary capabilities" would have an "incredible impact." For his part, Craig Federighi said that “It will transform much of what you do with your iPhone.”
Let's see, as a technology lover I will embrace any news no matter who it comes from —I'm not one of those who choose technology brands like someone who chooses a football team— so those statements made my eyes open wide.
And let's see... Do any of these features sound revolutionary to you? There are countless tools that help with writing. The ability to summarize is an inherent function of almost every language model available.
We can create images with hundreds of different apps. You can easily search for your photos this way in many services including Google Photos for years. And our less “intelligent” voice assistants like Alexa either Google Home They were already looking for information for us on Wikipedia a decade ago.
It's incredibly disappointing to see how they've used AI as a novelty claim to end up including tools that, for those of us who move in the world of artificial intelligence, not only do not seem new but are also common in our daily lives.
Apple Intelligence's target audience is not me
Actually, as much as it pisses me off to admit it Yes, I understand Apple's position in this regard.From my perspective, and as much as I don't want to see it, I know perfectly well why the Apple of 2024 has taken that direction with respect to artificial intelligence.
The AI that Apple sells is not for those of us who are in direct contact with it, but for the users of its smartphone. They will perceive it as a real revolution., as something new and will really transform its use.
If there is one good thing about Apple, it is its number of users. So far, The use of AI was relegated to a handful of technology curious people —including me— who liked to experiment with new tools.
I don't know anyone who pays ChatGPT, Midjourney or Claude, much less use a LoRa to train artificial intelligence or know HugginFace or Google Collab to run them. And I am a novice compared to many others.
Apple Intelligence is going to democratize AI. It will generate an interest in the general public, and a small group will end up investigating, using tools other than the iPhone, and finally discover that their phone is not as smart as they had been told…
Local AI: A very positive point
I have to admit that there is something I really like about this presentation, and that is that Everything the new Apple Intelligence does will be done locally. For security, above all, it is a positive step. Against it is the dependence of a company that is reluctant to take a step without confirming that it is safe, and in the world of AI that does not work like that…
We'll have to wait and see how it develops, is implemented or ends up working, but I'm rather pessimistic. I doubt it will do more than what they have said it will do and if it does, I don't really think it's progress.
Oh, by the way. It won't be working in Spanish until a few months from now. Surprise…
