On June 11, at the 2024 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple introduced its new personal intelligence system, Apple Intelligence. With this new generative AI, Apple aims to transform the iPhone, iPad, and Mac experience, with improved privacy and personal context at its core. Interestingly, for Apple, the concept of Apple Intelligence is not new, but it is a vision it had years ago. In fact, the company first hinted at a similar vision in 1987 with its Knowledge Navigator.

The Knowledge Navigator featured in a video produced by Apple in 1987 presented a futuristic computing system that is similar to today’s AI advancements. In a YouTube video titled “Apple Knowledge Navigator Video (1987)” by Mac History, a very old Apple concept teaser is shown where a tablet computer serves as the primary interface, with a digital agent assisting users by helping with remembering tasks, finding information, and making presentations. This digital “agent” also engages in conversation with users, a feature that is similar to today’s AI assistants such as Siri.

Knowledge Navigator’s interface also included features familiar to Mac users: a menu bar, icons, and windows. It also predicted many technologies that have now become commonplace, such as video chat, linked databases, network collaboration, and integrated multimedia and hypertext. There is no doubt that these early concepts from Apple were ahead of their time and laid the groundwork for future innovations.

Former Apple CEO John Sculley also described this vision in his 1987 book “Odyssey: Pepsi to Apple,” in which he suggests that Knowledge Navigator has long influenced Apple’s approach to AI. In 2024, the unveiling of Apple Intelligence at WWDC 2024 appears to be the fruit of this decades-old vision, bringing to life the futuristic ideas depicted in Knowledge Navigator with the power of AI.

While the true power of Apple Intelligence will be seen with the official rollout later this year, the AI ​​looks promising based on the launch video. According to Apple, Apple Intelligence is different from typical AI models because it tailors its conversations based on a user’s behavior, preferences, and personal data like calendar entries and communication history. This integration allows it to more accurately understand and predict a user’s needs, providing a level of contextual awareness similar to, but more advanced than, AI systems like ChatGPT.

Deeply embedded in iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, Apple Intelligence leverages the power of Apple Silicon to process language and images, working seamlessly across applications to enhance productivity and the user experience. It uses Apple’s private cloud compute to balance on-device processing with a server-based model, ensuring strong performance while maintaining user privacy. This architecture is designed to scale computational capacity efficiently and securely, delivering advanced AI capabilities without compromising privacy.

As far as features go, Apple Intelligence offers a set of tools to improve communication and creativity. Its writing tools help users write, rewrite, proofread, and summarize text in various applications, boosting confidence in their written communication. In terms of visual creativity, features like Image Playground and Zenmoji allow users to create illustrations and emojis using natural language signals. In addition, Siri has been enhanced with context awareness, making it more responsive and personalized. Overall, Apple Intelligence aims to simplify tasks, enhance creative expression, and provide a more intuitive and secure AI experience on Apple devices.