Apple Shows Off Gemini-Powered AI At WWDC

Tim Cook closed out his final Worldwide Developers Conference as Apple’s CEO by saying he truly believes the best is still ahead. 

The keynote presentation of Apple’s annual developers conference felt like a farewell sendoff for Cook, who received a standing ovation from the crowd after being introduced by exec Craig Federighi and his famous hair (he’s nicknamed “Hair Force One”). 

WWDC’s focus this year seems to be on fixing some recent flops before Cook passes the baton to hardware engineering SVP John Ternus, who’ll take over the helm in September. That’s just in time for Apple’s fall launch of fresh iPhones.

Prepping for Apple-Picking Season

WWDC is all about software and building hype for what the next generation of hardware will be capable of. While WWDC is aimed more at developers than shoppers, its announcements can lead to stronger sales of products that come out in the fall. 

This year’s WWDC, whose tagline was “All Systems Glow,” fixed a few launches that didn’t go over so well. Presenters showed off an updated “Liquid Glass” aesthetic that’ll let iPhone users slide opacity for notification bars that critics said were too glassy to read. And of course, there was lots of AI:

• Siri AI is getting a makeover, leveraging Google Gemini under the hood to make this version of Apple’s chatbot better than its last iteration. Presenters demo’d Siri performing tasks like planning a park-hopping itinerary through NYC, analyzing financial documents, and renaming a pet hedgehog (exactly what everyone’s been needing AI to do). Another demo showed Siri AI setting a reminder to sign up for a Suki Waterhouse ticket lottery. 
• Apple Intelligence will let users vibe-code on Shortcuts, taking AI a step further. For instance, they could add a shortcut for, per the presentation, “When I’m leaving work message Pedro I’m on my way with my ETA.” 

Apple First: Apple’s counted on partners to supplement its AI abilities as it’s spent less on developing its own tech compared to peers. But it also prioritized its own ecosystem over partners’ interests. Apple’s earlier partnership with OpenAI fizzled, and Bloomberg reported that the AI startup is plotting a lawsuit against Apple after the partnership failed to drive adequate traffic to ChatGPT. Apple’s latest updates could make iPhone users close the ChatGPT tab or app on their phone and use Apple’s built-in AI instead. But Google shouldn’t grow too cozy. Apple’s first focus is still on keeping users within its own ecosystem, as showcased many times in demos yesterday that saw users move between Apple Photos, Apple Maps, and Apple Safari.