Apple kicked off its 2025 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) with a strong focus on artificial intelligence, unveiling a range of new features under its Apple Intelligence branding. However, the much-anticipated AI upgrade to Siri, promised last year, remains absent.
One of the major announcements was Live Translation, now embedded in Messages, FaceTime, and the Phone app. The feature runs entirely on-device and provides translated captions in real time. In FaceTime, users will still hear the speaker’s original voice while reading translated subtitles. For phone calls, voice translation takes over.
Apple also introduced Genmoji, which allows users to merge emojis and descriptions to create personalized icons. Users can adjust details like hairstyles to match real people, including friends and family members.
ChatGPT has been integrated into several Apple tools, including Image Playground, Writing Tools, Siri, and the newly enhanced Visual Intelligence system. Visual Intelligence lets users interact with what’s on their screen—for example, by taking a screenshot and asking questions about it, similar to Google’s Circle to Search. The system can suggest adding events to your calendar based on extracted data like time, date, and location.
The Shortcuts app has become more powerful with AI-based intelligent actions. Apple gave the example of a student comparing class lecture transcripts with their notes to automatically highlight missed points. ChatGPT can assist, but Apple’s models are the default.
New features include auto-categorization of tasks in Reminders, improved order tracking in Apple Wallet by scanning merchant emails, and the ability to create polls in Messages. The app can also suggest polls based on conversation context.
On Apple Watch, the new Workout Buddy feature offers real-time motivational feedback during exercises. It uses workout history and metrics like heart rate and pace to generate spoken encouragement through a new text-to-speech model. The voice is modeled after Fitness+ trainers.
This feature is initially available in English and supports several workout types: Outdoor/Indoor Run, Walk, Cycle, HIIT, and Strength Training.
