Apple promises ChatGPT will arrive on iOS 18 'by the end of the year'
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We saw a slew of new Apple Intelligence features demoed for iOS 18 (and Apple's other software packages) at WWDC 2024 in June, but they're yet to roll out to devices. In the case of ChatGPT integration we now know it's arriving before the end of 2025.
As MacRumors reports, on a recent earnings call Apple CEO Tim Cook said that ChatGPT will be built into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia "by the end of the calendar year". We're expecting iOS 18 to make its way to iPhones sometime in September.
When the feature does go live, you'll get the option to get Siri to refer certain questions to ChatGPT, and it'll also be part of the writing assistance feature that can help with composing text messages, emails, and more.
You'll also be able to generate images in a variety of styles, Apple says, all powered by the latest GPT-4o model. Access to ChatGPT will be free, and you won't even need to register an account with OpenAI – though if you're a paying ChatGPT Plus member, you will be able to connect your account to get at additional paid-for features.
AI bots for all
When ChatGPT integration was first introduced, Apple did say the feature would be live by the end of the year – so really this is confirmation that the original timetable is still on track. There has been some speculation that certain Apple Intelligence features could be delayed beyond the launch of the iPhone 16 and iOS 18.
It also seems as though Apple is open to adding other AI bots to Siri in the future – including, perhaps, Google Gemini. It's also clear that Apple researchers are hard at work trying to get Siri on a par with ChatGPT and Gemini.
A limited number of Apple Intelligence features are already available in the developer beta of iOS 18.1, but while we've tried out the software, it's not suitable for everyday use yet. Most people are best waiting until the stable and final version of the update is pushed out.
It's likely that we'll hear more about Apple Intelligence and the date of its arrival at the iPhone 16 launch event, which should be sometime in September. Apple will almost certainly unveil the Apple Watch 10 and the finished iOS 18 at the same time.
