iOS 18 is expected to support these two AI features

iOS 18 is expected to be released at WWDC 2024 on June 10, a few months before Apple rolls out its next major software update for eligible iPhone models. While the company has yet to provide any details related to iOS 18, an analysis of Apple’s server backend code suggests the company may be working on two new artificial intelligence features that could appear in an upcoming update. These include Safari’s artificial intelligence “browsing assistant,” which puts Safari on the same level as competing apps.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) developer Nicolás Álvarez (@nicolas09F9) said he found references to two features in Apple’s backend code. The first is the Safari Browsing Assistant, which sounds similar to a generative AI assistant capable of analyzing and summarizing web pages, such as Copilot or Arc Browser on Microsoft Edge.

The second feature discovered by the developers is called Encrypted Visual Search, which, as the developers point out, is already a feature offered by Spotlight. It’s unclear whether iOS 18 will include a more advanced (and secure) version of the Visual Find feature, which can automatically identify plants, pet species, and landmarks in Camera Roll images.

Alvarez explain Both features will use Oblivious HTTP Gateway, a privacy protocol for forwarding encrypted HTTP messages, which will prevent companies from identifying multiple requests as coming from the same IP address. The developer previously speculated that Apple would use its iCloud Private Relay feature, which would require a monthly subscription to iCloud+ or Apple One.

Apple has yet to reveal details about these so-called artificial intelligence features, which are expected to appear in an upcoming operating system update for eligible iPhone models. The company is expected to launch iOS 18 along with macOS 15 and other operating system updates for various Apple products at WWDC 2024 starting on June 10, and we are expected to learn more about these AI capabilities during the WWDC keynote event months.