An Apple Intelligence-powered feature coming in iOS 18 will allow iPhone users to create AI-like images of people they're messaging with, sort of like an AI-upgraded Bitmoji.
According to Apple, the new product will help “make everyday conversations more enjoyable.” The company announced the new technology at WWDC 2024.
Apple Intelligence understands who you're talking to in a Messaging conversation, so if you want to personalize your chats with custom AI images, you can create them on the fly.
Image credit: Apple
For example, Apple showed off the creation of an AI Bitmoji that celebrated a friend's birthday with images of cake, balloons, flowers, etc. Another video showed a mother donning a superhero cape to show off her child's respect for his abilities.
At launch, this feature will only support three illustration styles: Sketch, Illustration, and Animation.
This is reminiscent of a sort of next-generation Bitmoji that a group of ex-Snap researchers were working on at startup Easel.
Apple says the image generation feature will also work in other apps, including Notes, Freeform, Keynote and Pages.
Later in the keynote, Apple more formally unveiled Genmoji, a feature that lets you create AI emoji-like images from your photo library or from custom emojis. Apple said Genmoji can be used as stickers to react to messages with Tapbacks or inline in messages.
Another new feature, Image Playground, also available as a standalone app and API for developers, allows users to create images using concepts like theme, outfit, accessories, location, etc. Once they select the time they want to include, the Apple Intelligence-powered feature instantly creates a preview of the image.
Image credit: Apple
The company points out that you don't need to design the perfect prompt.
You can swipe across the image preview to create more images or switch between different styles, such as sketch, animation, illustration, etc. Apple Intelligence will also suggest concepts related to your Messages conversations, but Apple says this all happens on-device.
Image credit: Apple
In addition to generating images, Apple Intelligence also enables other features through collaboration between apps, like the ability to ask it to show you files you worked on last week, photos of a particular person, or play a podcast someone previously recommended to you.
Understanding your app and your actions makes it even more powerful by understanding things like event details in Calendar or traffic information in Maps to provide more personal interactions.
Also at WWDC 2024, Apple announced updates to Siri and introduced macOS Sequoia.