Apple Improves Basic Features with Artificial Intelligence Technology on the Latest iPhone and Watch

Apple enhances Watch capabilities with artificial intelligence. (photo: dock. apple)

JAKARTA - In contrast to other Big Techs, Apple did not use the words "artificial intelligence" to describe emerging new technology, but it showed off a new line of iPhones and new watches that include improved semiconductor designs to power new AI features. These features mostly improve basic functions like taking calls or taking better photos.

Artificial intelligence wasn't mentioned at their June developer conference, but it's been months of quietly changing Apple's core software products behind the scenes.

On the other hand, Microsoft and Alphabet set ambitious targets for the level of transformation in their AI efforts. Industry leaders have warned about the potential dangers of uncontrolled development of new tools such as generative AI.

Apple built the Series 9 Watch with a new chip that includes enhanced data processing capabilities, most notably adding a four-core "Neural Engine" that can process machine learning tasks up to two times faster. The Neural Engine is what Apple calls the building block for their chips that accelerates AI functions.

The AI ​​component of the watch's chip makes Siri, Apple's voice assistant, 25% more accurate.

However, including a machine learning chip component also allows Apple to launch new ways to interact with the device: users can "double tap" by squeezing with the finger of the hand wearing their watch to do things like answer or end a phone call, pause music, or launch other information such as the weather.

The goal is to provide a way for people to control their Apple Watch when their non-watch hands are busy holding a coffee cup or walking the dog. The feature works by using a new chip and machine learning to detect subtle movements and changes in blood flow when users tap their fingers together.

The iPhone maker also showed off improved image capture for their line of phones. The company has long offered a "portrait mode" that can blur the background with computing power to simulate a large camera lens. But users must remember to enable the feature. Now, the camera automatically recognizes when there are people in the frame and collects the necessary data to blur the background later.

Apple is far from the only smartphone maker adding AI to their hardware. For example, Google Pixel phones allow users to remove unwanted people or objects from images.