Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash

There are two unrelated stories in the news this morning that caught my attention. First, Apple Intelligence is here. It was publicly introduced yesterday as part of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1. Key features include advanced writing tools for text proofing, tone adjustments, and summarization. Siri enhancements add contextual understanding, “Type to Siri,” and expanded settings navigation. Additional tools include Smart Replies in Mail and Messages, memory-making in Photos, transcription summaries, Focus modes, and Safari article summarization. Upcoming features in iOS 18.2 will add image generation, custom emojis, and ChatGPT integration for complex tasks. Full EU rollout begins in April 2025. Download it and start to play. It’s going to take you a few days to go through all the subtle changes and new features.

(BTW, if you really hate the way the Photos app now displays your photos, open the app, scroll down to the bottom and tap, “Customize & Reorder.” This will bring up all of the new display options and allow you to move them around and turn them on and off. It will take you under a minute to make the app feel familiar again.)

Second news story: Robert Downey Jr. did an interview with Kara Swisher where he expressed the most anti-future-thinking position on AI that I’ve seen. Downey shared fierce opposition to AI-generated recreations of himself and promised aggressive legal action against any Hollywood executive attempting to digitally replicate him. He also believes that the current elite AI builders are not being truthful with us about how they do business or their future plans.

Interestingly, his resolve goes beyond his lifetime; he emphasized that his estate would pursue legal actions long after he’s gone, saying it will “sue all future executives” who consider digitally resurrecting him.

I understand that there are big feelings about this. I also understand that as AI replication gets better (and actually becomes a business), it will be a huge source of licensing income for all involved, including superstars like Downey. Obviously, he doesn’t need the money, but those who do may feel differently.

More By This Author: