On Monday at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025, Apple unveiled a range of artificial intelligence (AI)-focused updates under the banner of Apple Intelligence. The keynote presentation included a review of existing AI capabilities and introduced new features currently available for testing, with plans for a broader rollout later this year. Among the highlights were Live Translation, a new Workout Buddy feature for the Apple Watch, integration of ChatGPT into Visual Intelligence, along with enhancements to Genmoji and Image Playground experiences, and advanced AI functionalities for the Shortcuts app.
Apple Introduces Foundation Models Framework for Developers
Craig Federighi, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, announced that the company is providing third-party app developers with access to its on-device foundation models. These models, which are integral to many Apple Intelligence features, allow developers to create new functionalities for their applications or even develop entirely new apps utilizing the Foundation Models Framework.
Importantly, these on-device models enable functioning without an internet connection, meaning user data remains securely on the device at all times. Developers will benefit from not facing any costs associated with application programming interface (API) usage for cloud inference. The framework is optimized for Swift, ensuring seamless integration for developers, and includes support for guided generation and tool calling, among other features.
Exciting New Features in Apple Intelligence
Federighi noted that while advancements in Siri related to AI will not be revealed until 2026, Apple plans to introduce several new Apple Intelligence features this year.
Live Translation
One of the standout new features is Live Translation, designed to facilitate communication across different languages in the Messages app, FaceTime, and Phone app. This AI-driven tool ensures that conversations remain local to the device and users can communicate with others who speak different languages effortlessly.
Live Translation will automatically translate messages as they are typed, allowing seamless interaction with friends and colleagues. Incoming messages in another language will also be translated on-the-fly.
During FaceTime calls, the feature will provide live captions in the user’s preferred language to enhance understanding. For phone calls, Live Translation offers real-time voice translation to facilitate clear communication.
Visual Intelligence
In addition, Apple is updating its Visual Intelligence capabilities. iPhone users can now pose questions to ChatGPT while viewing the world through their device’s camera, enabling the chatbot to comprehend the context and provide relevant answers. The feature can search for similar images and products through applications like Google and Etsy and allows users to easily find products by highlighting them in their camera view.
Visual Intelligence is also capable of recognizing events and suggesting additions to the calendar based on what the user is viewing. Moreover, users can share images captured by their camera and inquire about them by using the same buttons employed for taking screenshots.
Workout Buddy
The Apple Watch is set to benefit from an innovative AI feature named Workout Buddy. This new functionality analyzes a user’s workout data and fitness history to generate personalized motivational insights in real-time. Metrics such as heart rate, pace, and exercise milestones are utilized to craft tailored encouragement during workouts.
The insights generated will be delivered through a freshly developed text-to-speech model, which is inspired by Apple Fitness+ trainers to match the appropriate energy and tone for workouts. Workout Buddy will function with Bluetooth headphones and necessitates proximity to an Apple Intelligence-equipped iPhone. Initially, it will be available in English for select workouts, including running, cycling, and strength training.
Genmoji and Image Playground
Both Genmoji and Image Playground are also receiving enhancements this year. In Genmoji, users will now be able to blend emojis while adding text prompts to generate unique variations. Users can modify expressions and personal characteristics such as hairstyles when creating images reminiscent of friends and family.
Image Playground will incorporate ChatGPT to introduce new artistic styles. Users can select the Any Style option to describe their desired images, which will then be generated by ChatGPT, contingent on user consent for data sharing.
Shortcuts
Furthermore, Apple Intelligence will be integrated into the Shortcuts app, allowing users to perform tasks such as summarizing text through Writing Tools or generating images with Image Playground. This integration will enable the utilization of both on-device and Private Cloud Compute models to enhance shortcuts with intelligent responses.
For illustration, a student could create a shortcut that leverages the Apple Intelligence model to compare an audio transcription of a lecture with their own notes, enriching their study materials by highlighting missed key points. ChatGPT will also assist in augmenting these shortcuts with additional responses.
Lastly, Apple confirmed that Apple Intelligence features are set to expand into eight new languages later this year. These include Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (traditional), and Vietnamese.
