Apple (AAPL) is finally bringing ChatGPT to iPhone, iPad and Mac as part of its latest Apple Intelligence update. The software is now available for iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2 and macOS 15.2 and also brings Apple’s visual intelligence function for the iPhone 16’s camera controls and image-generating technologies called Image Playground and Genmoji.

The software is the second update in a series of artificial intelligence-related improvements to Apple’s product lineup over the next few months and brings some of Apple Intelligence’s most anticipated AI features.

Apple shares rose less than 1% on the news.

Apple introduced its first set of Apple Intelligence features in October, including notification summaries and writing tools. Apple is banking on Apple Intelligence to boost iPhone sales as smartphone growth continues to slow. However, so far there is little evidence that the update itself is pushing users to update their devices sooner rather than later.

Adding ChatGPT to iPhone is an important step in Apple’s push to spread powerful AI capabilities across its various devices. With the update, the generative AI chatbot is available via Siri, Writing Tools, and visual search-based visual intelligence.

Apple says it doesn’t share user data with ChatGPT creator OpenAI unless those users log in to their ChatGPT accounts. In this case, OpenAI’s data processing conditions apply. Every time you access ChatGPT, Apple requests confirmation that you really want to use the bot.

The company’s visual intelligence allows users to search for real-world objects using the iPhone camera. Point your phone at a restaurant, a piece of clothing you want to buy, or a document you want to summarize and visual intelligence does the rest. You can choose to search with visual intelligence using either ChatGPT to ask detailed questions about your topic, or use Google search.

Unfortunately, visual intelligence is only available on the iPhone 16 range, as these devices are the only ones to come with Apple’s dedicated camera control button. In fact, Apple Intelligence more broadly is only available through the iPhone 16 lineup or the company’s iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max devices. Apple says that’s because the iPhone 15 Pros and iPhone 16 are the only phones whose chips are powerful enough to handle built-in AI processing.

Apple’s Image Playground and Genmoji features are less about helpful search tools and more about creating fun, cheesy natural language images. You can ask the services to take a picture of a dog jumping through a ring of fire, or take a selfie you took and tell the apps to take a picture of you training, and they will do just that.

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Image Playground and Genmoji won’t drive users to the store in droves to buy new iPhones, but at this point the features are must-haves for any smartphone maker. Apple’s competitors already offer similar functionality through their own AI platforms, and if the company wants to continue competing in this space, it will need to offer competing capabilities that can keep up with them.

Apple hasn’t announced when the next tranche of Apple Intelligence features will launch, but considering how long the company has waited to release its second batch, it’s likely to enter beta in the coming weeks start.

Email Daniel Howley at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley.

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