Apple made a strategic move on Monday by releasing a software update for iPhones, iPads, and Macs, turning Apple Intelligence on by default for users with supported devices. This development marks a significant step toward a more comprehensive rollout of the feature. The updates, which include iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and macOS Sequoia 15.3, also address concerns over AI-generated content by disabling AI summaries for news apps after instances of inaccurate information surfaced.
Apple Intelligence is currently in its beta phase and is available only in select English-speaking countries. Marketed as a tool capable of rewriting text, generating images, and summarizing long emails and message threads, the suite aims to streamline user experiences. With the latest updates, Apple's AI can condense stacks of notifications into concise three-sentence summaries, enhancing efficiency for users.
However, the rollout has not been without challenges. Earlier this month, Apple's system erroneously conflated notifications from BBC's sports app, inaccurately stating that "Brazilian tennis player, Rafael Nadal, comes out as gay." In response to such incidents, the recent update disables Apple Intelligence for news and entertainment apps, ensuring more reliable information dissemination.
To distinguish AI-generated notifications from standard ones, Apple has introduced a feature that displays AI-created notifications in italics. This allows users to identify which notifications stem from generative AI and which are directly pushed by the app itself. Apple informed users that they must navigate to the Apple Intelligence page in the Settings app if they wish to deactivate the feature.
"For users new or upgrading to iOS 18.3, Apple Intelligence will be enabled automatically during iPhone onboarding," – Apple
This update expands the number of users exposed to Apple Intelligence by default. Previously, only users with specific iPhone models released in 2023 and 2024 were prompted to activate the feature during setup, which involved downloading AI models from the internet and some installation processes.
Apple's decision aligns it with other tech giants like Google and Microsoft, who have also faced setbacks with their AI features generating harmful content or "hallucinations" not grounded in reality. Apple has taken proactive measures to ensure that its servers can handle the increased demand as more users engage with Apple Intelligence.
Despite these hurdles, Apple remains committed to refining its AI capabilities. The company assured CNBC earlier this month that notification summaries for news apps would be reinstated in a future update once improvements are made.