Much of the noise around Apple’s AI efforts has focused on general improvements to iOS 18 and Siri as well as the upcoming M4 chip for Mac. However, as we get closer to WWDC, more reports about the AI software Apple will create will be released, with the most recent covering Apple’s efforts to improve the next major version of Safari.
AppleInsider reports that the company is working on a new “Smart Search” feature that uses on-device AI to summarize a web page. The language learning model developed by Apple can identify key phrases and topics that provide insight into the content of a web page and create a summary for the user.
Other features Apple is working on include:
- A Web Eraser that gives users the ability to delete parts of a web page. This includes advertisements, text and images. Safari will remember which parts were deleted when the page is closed, and if the page is revisited, Safari notifies the user that the page has been modified.
- A new page controls the menu that appears in the address bar. This menu basically collects user controls spread across Safari (text size, zoom, Reader mode, privacy report, etc.).
- An AI enhancement for Visual Lookup that gives users product insights. This feature could also be implemented system-wide, not just in Safari.
Apple plans to implement the new Safari 18 features in iOS 18 and macOS 15, which will be announced at WWDC24 on June 10. The report claims that some features, such as AI visual search, may not be available until 2025. This follows previous rumors suggesting that AI features would be rolled out in waves. AppleInsider also recently reported on Apple’s plans to update the Notes and Calculator apps.
For the latest news and rumors, check out our iOS 18 and macOS 15 superguides. And learn more about WWDC24 in June.
