Apple Opens Apple Intelligence to Developers, Keeps AI Rollout Cautious at WWDC

At its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple unveiled a series of incremental artificial intelligence updates, emphasizing practical features while keeping broader ambitions restrained compared to its tech rivals. The company announced that developers will now gain access to Apple Intelligence’s foundational on-device AI model, though cloud-based advanced capabilities remain out of reach.

Apple’s software chief Craig Federighi confirmed that third-party developers can integrate Apple’s on-device large language model (LLM), which operates at around 3 billion parameters. While this allows for enhanced privacy and offline functionality, it also limits the model’s capacity for more complex AI tasks that cloud-based systems can handle. Apple plans to supplement these with integrations from partners like OpenAI, allowing developers to use both Apple’s and OpenAI’s code completion tools directly within Apple’s developer platform, Xcode.

The updates reflect a shift from the sweeping promises made a year ago. Last year, Apple hinted at being a visionary in AI with talk of “AI agents.” This year, the company focused on concrete applications such as live translation during phone calls, call screening, and visual intelligence that helps users find products similar to those viewed online.

Federighi also announced a major design refresh across Apple’s operating systems, introducing a “Liquid Glass” aesthetic with semi-transparent icons and menus inspired by visionOS. Future OS versions will adopt year-based naming, replacing sequential version numbers.

While the AI additions may appear modest, Apple’s back-end infrastructure improvements suggest a longer-term strategy. The company prioritizes privacy-focused, on-device AI processing while allowing users to opt in when data is shared with third parties like OpenAI.

Despite these moves, analysts expressed mixed views. Some highlighted Apple’s cautious but practical approach, while others warned that Apple risks falling behind as competitors like OpenAI and Microsoft rapidly advance in AI development. Apple’s shares dipped 1.2% following the announcements.

In the broader context, OpenAI reported reaching a $10 billion annualized revenue run rate, underscoring the fast-paced evolution of the AI sector that Apple is cautiously navigating.