Apple announced a new AI system, Apple Intelligence, designed with user privacy at its core. Unlike existing AI services, Apple Intelligence promises not to collect any user data and prioritizes on-device processing. BTW, most of the Apple Intelligence functionality won’t be out till 2025.
In traditional cases, AI systems require sending user data to the cloud for processing. Apple Intelligence tackles this concern by running many AI tasks directly on the user’s device (which iPhone 15 base and Plus models users won’t be receiving), eliminating the need to send data to remote servers.
However
In some cases, on-device processing may not be powerful enough, so Apple uses Private Cloud computing (PCC), a system that only transmits essential information and destroys it after processing.
“Called Private Cloud Compute (PCC), Apple’s implementation of server-side AI only sends the minimum information required from your device to the cloud for processing. It is impossible for Apple’s AI servers, which are custom-built by the company, to store data requests—the information is cryptographically destroyed after the processed request is returned to the user and is never seen by anyone at Apple.”
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On the other hand, Apple remained silent during its keynote regarding the availability of Apple Intelligence in China, its second-largest market.
China enforces stricter regulations on AI models, especially those developed by foreign companies. While Apple’s SVP of software engineering, Craig Federighi, the person who started the process of bringing AI to Apple, confirmed its intent to bring Apple Intelligence to China, they did not provide a specific timeline, acknowledging the need to navigate these regulations. Lately, Apple hasn’t been doing well in the Chinese market, but plans to bring Apple TV+ there.
We certainly want to find a way to bring all of our best product capabilities to all of our customers. In some regions of the world, there are regulations that need to be worked through. We don’t have timing to announce right now, but it’s certainly something we want to do.
Apple Intelligence is currently in beta testing and is expected to launch this fall alongside the upcoming iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia updates.