Apple readies genai.apple.com ahead of WWDC 2026, signaling new AI and Siri upgrades

Apple reportedly plans to use next month's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) to highlight its on-device AI capabilities as a competitive advantage, leaning on 15 years of custom silicon expertise to make the case for running AI models locally rather than in the cloud. People familiar with Apple's plans speaking to The Information say the company is expected to showcase how the chips designed for iPhones, Apple Watches, and Macs give it an edge in processing AI queries directly on devices. While cloud-based processing will remain necessary for complex queries, Apple will position local inference as a privacy-preserving, cost-saving alternative to the massive data center buildouts its rivals have pursued. As part of its agreement with Google, Apple is apparently set to use a large version of Google's Gemini model to train a smaller, distilled version capable of running locally on Apple hardware. Apple is also said to be scouting acquisitions to help advance its model-shrinking work, with one company it has reportedly considered being Liquid AI, a Massachusetts startup focused on running AI locally on devices. Some queries will still require cloud processing. Apple is believed to have approved the use of Nvidia's confidential compute technology within Google Cloud to handle processing of the larger Gemini-based model. The security feature encrypts data and AI models during processing, adding a modest performance cost but offering stronger privacy protections. The arrangement represents a noticeable departure from Apple's original Apple Intelligence announcement, in which the company said all cloud-bound queries would be handled exclusively by its own Private Cloud Compute infrastructure running on Apple silicon. Apple is likely to retain the Private Cloud Compute branding despite the change, people familiar with the partnership told The Information. There are also said to be material limits to how far Apple can push on-device processing. Google's full Gemini model runs into the trillions of parameters, and The Information claims that Apple has struggled to run it on its own Private Cloud Compute infrastructure, which uses the same Apple silicon chips found in Mac computers. ‌Apple Intelligence‌ was first announced at WWDC 2024, but the rollout has been hampered by a tepid response to initial features and a protracted delay to the more personal version of Siri. Apple is now expected to use WWDC 2026, which runs from June 8 to reframe the narrative, reintroduce the delayed features, and debut new ones. Related Roundup: WWDC 2026Tags: Apple Intelligence, The Information, WWDC 2026Related Forum: Apple, Inc and Tech IndustryThis article, "Report: Apple Plans to Make On-Device AI a Key WWDC Focus" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Apple's newly discovered genai.apple.com subdomain hints at major Siri and Apple Intelligence upgrades expected to be announced during WWDC 2026

Apple quietly prepares new Gen AI website ahead of WWDC

Apple just registered a new subdomain record: genai.apple.com. The domain was spotted by a MacRumors contributing researcher, and though it doesn't yet lead to a live web page, they believe it's tied to Apple's annual developers conference WWDC which starts June 8, "where the company has promised to announce 'AI advancements' across its software platforms." The blog 9to5Mac speculates that "All signs point to WWDC 2026 being Apple's major AI renaissance, where the company will live up to the promises it made back at WWDC 2024, as well as a few additional new announcements." [I]it goes without saying that this is probably related to Apple's upcoming generative AI announcements at WWDC... Siri should finally be able to understand more personal context, have on screen awareness, and be able to take action in apps for you. This'll finally be made possible thanks to Apple's new partnership with Google, where Apple will be using Gemini-diffused models hosted on Private Cloud Compute to power Siri... Apple will also reportedly be introducing a new Siri app. This'll allow you to access your previous Siri conversations, as well as have text-based conversations with Siri. Other Apple Intelligence upgrades coming at WWDC 2026 include the ability to generate wallet passes from physical tickets, new editing features in the Photos app, and additional functionality for Visual Intelligence... Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Apple has just registered a new subdomain record ahead of WWDC: genai.apple.com. All signs point to WWDC 2026 being Apple’s major AI renaissance, where the company will live up to the promises it made back at WWDC 2024, as well as a few additional new announcements. more…

Apple is readying the subdomain genai.apple.com, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris, but it does not yet lead to a live web page. The genai.apple.com subdomain has been added to Apple's domain name servers. This comes a few weeks ahead of Apple's annual developers conference WWDC, where the company has promised to announce "AI advancements" across its software platforms. Apple's website already has an Apple Intelligence page, so it is unclear what the company's plans are for genai.apple.com at this time. The subdomain certainly is a reference to "generative ai" which has been popularized by ChatGPT and Claude in recent years. Apple's next major software releases like iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 are expected to include many new Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalized version of Siri with on-screen awareness. Similar to other chatbots like ChatGPT, a dedicated Siri app will reportedly allow users to have back-and-forth conversations. Apple Intelligence will power a wide range of new accessibility features, such as automatic captions for videos recorded with an iPhone. In addition, Voice Control is gaining support for natural language, allowing users to say things like "tap the guide about best restaurants" in Apple Maps or "tap the purple folder" in the Files app. Apple Intelligence will make it easier for users to create shortcuts in the Shortcuts app, and it will power a new "Create a Pass" option in the Wallet app. Safari will be able to automatically name tab groups, and Visual Intelligence will be able to scan food nutrition labels and add information from a business card or paperwork to the Contacts app. Apple's WWDC 2026 keynote begins on Monday, June 8 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time.Related Roundup: WWDC 2026Tag: Apple IntelligenceRelated Forum: Apple, Inc and Tech IndustryThis article, "Apple Preparing New 'Gen AI' Website Ahead of WWDC" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums