Apple recently announced that it will open its artificial intelligence models to third-party developers, aiming to stimulate creativity for new applications and enhance the appeal of its devices. According to insiders, this plan will be officially released at the global developer conference (WWDC) on June 9. Apple hopes to provide software development kits (SDKs) and related frameworks so that developers can build AI functionalities based on its large language model.
Currently, Apple's AI platform, "Apple Intelligence," has already been applied in notification summaries, text editing, basic image generation, and other functions in iOS and macOS. After opening up the AI models, developers will be able to integrate these technologies into specific applications, even across entire applications. Initially, Apple will open up small models running on local devices rather than powerful cloud-based models that require server support.
Image Source Note: The image was generated by AI, and the image licensing service provider is Midjourney.
This move is an important step for Apple in the generative AI field, aiming to reverse its lagging position in this area. Although Apple launched the Apple Intelligence platform last year, the initial functionality did not perform well, while other AI platforms performed better. Apple hopes that expanding the range of developers will lead to more engaging applications.
In addition to developer support, Apple also plans to launch an AI-driven battery management mode as well as an AI health application containing a virtual health coach. However, the latter is expected to be released in 2026. Despite this, Apple's progress in the AI field has not been smooth, with its AI news summary being suspended due to errors, and its custom expression tool Genmoji performing poorly.
At the upcoming WWDC, Apple will also showcase a revamped version of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac operating systems, collectively named "Solarium," aiming to make the interface more unified and harmonious. One of the biggest highlights of this conference will undoubtedly be Apple's openness to AI models for developers, which will pave the way for creating richer application ecosystems.