Apple Vision Pro to get major AI enhancements, rollout expected next year: Mark Gurman

American tech giant Apple is preparing to bring its new suite of artificial intelligence (AI) features to the Apple Vision Pro, according to a report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Unveiled at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024, these AI capabilities include advanced Writing Tools, an AI-enhanced Siri, Genmoji, and more. Initially, these features were announced for iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. Now, it seems the Vision Pro mixed reality headset will also benefit from these innovations, albeit not within this year.

Gurman’s Power On newsletter cites sources familiar with Apple’s plans, revealing that the company has begun integrating Apple Intelligence into the Vision Pro. While the exact release timeline remains uncertain, it is unlikely these features will be available this year. Users might see the rollout early next year or potentially with the release of visionOS 3 in the fall of 2025.

Integrating AI features into the Vision Pro is expected to be straightforward due to the device’s robust hardware. With 16GB of unified RAM and the M2 chipset, the headset is well-equipped to handle the demands of AI tasks. Additionally, visionOS, a variant of iPadOS, should facilitate smoother integration of these new features.

Adding AI functionalities to the Vision Pro would significantly enhance its utility. As a device designed to perform complex computing tasks, incorporating features such as notification prioritization, advanced Writing Tools, and a more capable Siri will only broaden its capabilities and appeal.

One potential reason for the delay in introducing these AI features to the Vision Pro could be related to Apple’s Private Cloud Compute servers. The report suggests that Apple is currently expanding its cloud infrastructure and rolling out these features to too many devices simultaneously could strain the system, impacting performance and efficiency.

In summary, while Vision Pro users will have to wait a bit longer for these exciting AI features, the enhancements promise to elevate the functionality and user experience of Apple’s mixed reality headset significantly.