Key takeaways from Apple Software chief Craig Federighi's interview on AI

During an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Apple’s Craig Federighi recently shed light on the company’s approach to AI. While competitors like OpenAI and Google have already made major strides, Apple has taken a slower path, focusing on privacy and integration. Federighi explained, “This is a many-year, honestly even decades-long arc of this technology playing out, and so we’re going to do it responsibly.”

The first wave of Apple’s AI tools, branded as Apple Intelligence, will roll out with iOS 18.1, but they will only be available on newer devices like the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16. These tools will also come to Macs and iPads in the future. Federighi emphasized that Apple isn’t interested in creating just another chatbot. Instead, the goal is to integrate AI deeply into the user’s everyday experience. “We looked at this as not how do we build another chatbot… but how do we create something that’s deeply integrated and personal.”

A key part of Apple’s strategy revolves around running AI models on the device to ensure user privacy. Federighi stressed the importance of keeping data secure, explaining that AI tasks will only access Apple’s encrypted cloud when extra power is needed. “The important part is… the data that you asked to be summarized was encrypted to a trusted device in the cloud… and never recorded anything about that data,” he said.

The interview also touched on Siri’s evolution, with Federighi acknowledging the challenges. While Siri processes 1.5 billion requests daily, Apple wants to push it further by using AI to enhance its abilities. “This power of Apple intelligence and large language models means that Siri can understand you better than ever before,” he explained. New features will allow Siri to handle more complex requests, such as answering detailed personal questions. However, this smarter Siri will arrive gradually over the next year.

Federighi made it clear that Apple’s cautious approach sets it apart from others. While AI assistants like ChatGPT can generate poems and solve complex questions, Siri focuses on practical tasks like sending messages and controlling smart home devices. “Many useful things Siri does for you every day… it does them quickly and locally on your device,” Federighi said, highlighting the trade-off between capabilities and privacy.

Apple’s AI ambitions align with its long-standing philosophy of being late but deliberate. “We’re not first to a new tech product category,” Federighi admitted, but Apple’s strategy is to prioritize user experience and trust. As AI tools continue to evolve, Apple seems to be committed to balancing innovation with privacy, building what Federighi describes as “intelligence that understands you.”

With the first wave of Apple Intelligence tools set to launch soon, users can expect more seamless interactions with their devices. But Federighi warns not to expect an overnight transformation. “It’s going to continue to get better and better,” he said, signaling that Apple’s AI journey is just getting started. This advancement in the future is likely to attract a premium price too. For those with the latest iPhones, you can install iOS 18.2 beta that dropped a few hours ago to test out AI features like Genmoji, Image Playground, ChatGPT, and iPhone 16 Visual Intelligence.