Apple Unveils Advanced Privacy Features with Apple Intelligence in iOS 18.1 and macOS 15.1 Betas

Apple Intelligence and Privacy

Apple has introduced a preview of its new AI-based features, known as Apple Intelligence, with the release of iOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1 betas. These features allow users to rephrase text, summarize messages or emails, and more, leveraging both on-device and online language models.

To ensure user privacy, Apple has developed Private Compute Modules (PCC), which process data with end-to-end encryption in the cloud, ensuring that even Apple cannot access this data. PCC is built using custom Apple silicon and a hardened operating system for enhanced security.

Users can access detailed privacy reports on how their requests are processed through the new 'Apple Intelligence Report' menu in the Privacy & Security settings. This report shows whether requests were processed on-device or via PCC and can be exported after authentication with Face ID or Touch ID. The report is stored on the device for 15 minutes by default but can be set to keep it for up to 7 days or turned off entirely.

Apple Intelligence will not be available in the official releases of iOS 18.0 and macOS 15.0, and it requires iPhone 15 Pro models or Macs and iPads with the M1 chip or later.