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Apple will allow millions of app developers to access its artificial intelligence models for the first time, as the tech giant looks to capitalise on its vast hardware and software ecosystem to give it an edge over its competitors.
Speaking at its developer event in Cupertino on Monday, chief executive Tim Cook said the company was looking to “harness the power of Apple Intelligence”, referring to an AI overhaul of its software that was first announced at last year’s event.
Developers would be able to test the features starting on June 9, with a full rollout for consumers in the autumn, Cook said. The AI features are only available on recent models of the iPhone.
Apple software chief Craig Federighi said that opening its AI models to third parties would “ignite a whole new wave of intelligent experiences in the apps users rely on every day”.
The models run locally on Apple’s devices, meaning they do not need to access a cloud server or a network connection — something the company has emphasised as a significant privacy and security benefit.
Federighi gave the example of a puzzle app building a personalised quiz for a user based on the notes on their device, or a hiking app choosing a trail for a user based on their personal preferences when they do not have reception.
Access to Apple’s AI models will initially be limited to the smaller ones that work locally on its devices. It has also built larger cloud-based models, which cannot run natively on devices due to the massive computing power required.
Analysts have long questioned how Apple might integrate and eventually monetise AI features into its App Store business, which brought more than $30bn in revenue for the company in 2024, according to Bank of America estimates.
Apple is also introducing live AI translation of calls and messages using models running locally on the user’s device, as well as a number of other incremental updates such as allowing its “Visual Search” feature to engage with content on a user’s screen.
Separately, Apple is overhauling and unifying the look of its different operating systems in what it calls its “broadest software design update ever”. It uses an aesthetic dubbed “Liquid Glass”, inspired by the Vision Pro operating system.
The latest push into the AI space comes as investors are concerned that Apple risks falling behind in a technological race with the likes of Google, Samsung and Huawei to offer “AI smartphones”.
The initial “Apple Intelligence” rollout has hit snags, and a more advanced and conversational Siri voice assistant, announced at last year’s conference, has yet to be rolled out. On Monday there was no mention of the updated Siri, widely seen as crucial to opening true “agentic” AI abilities on the iPhone.
Apple shares were down 1.4 per cent on Monday afternoon.
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