Apple highlights AI features, including M4 Neural Engine, at iPad event

Apple isn’t ready to reveal its broader AI strategy yet — it’s saving that for its Worldwide Developers Conference in June — but the tech giant made sure to mention AI technologies in its lineup of devices at its iPad event on Tuesday. The company touted the new iPad Air as “an incredibly powerful device for AI”; its AI-powered features such as visual search, topic lifting, and live text capture, among others; and, of course, its upgraded M4 chip, featuring a neural engine “dedicated to accelerating AI workloads.”

For example, the iPad Air update, which now includes the M2 with a faster CPU, GPU, and neural engine, was described as offering “powerful machine learning features” like visual search , which can identify objects in photos; an AI-powered tool that can make the subject of a photo stand out; and Live Text Capture, which can copy, share, search and translate text within the camera frame.

When Apple didn’t have its own AI technology to point to, it referred to third parties. Speaking of the iPad Air, for example, Apple praised Pixelmator’s Photomator, which uses AI models trained on more than 20 million professional images to enhance photos with a single click.

Meanwhile, the iPad Pro has moved from the M2 to the new M4, the latest generation of Apple silicon, with a new CPU, next-gen GPU, and next-gen ML accelerators that Apple says will deliver up to 50 % faster. performance than the M2. Of course, the company also highlighted the chip’s Neural Engine, or NPU, which is “dedicated to accelerating AI workloads.”

“While the chip industry is just beginning to add NPUs to some of its processors, we have been including our industry-leading Neural Engine in our chip for years,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president. hardware engineering, during the event.

Consumers, however, are waiting to see what kinds of use cases are in store for these hardware advancements – and that’s something Apple has yet to address in detail, although it has had the opportunity to present a version of iPadOS with new features from AI or other developers. -targeted ads.

Instead, Apple used existing iPadOS features, such as Stage Manager multitasking view and a viewing mode for creatives, dubbed Reference Mode.

Nonetheless, the company hinted that the enhanced AI capabilities would soon be in the hands of iPadOS app developers, noting that the operating system’s software offers advanced frameworks, like CoreML, and that developers would be in able to exploit its neural engine to provide “powerful AI”. features directly on the device.

In other apps, like Logic Pro, Apple has added new AI-based session players, like a bassist and keyboardist who can join a performance alongside the already available drummer. These AI-driven support group members can also respond to comments provided in the app, Apple said. The company also mentioned a machine learning-based Logic Pro plugin, ChromaGlow, for adding warmth to tracks.

Image credits: Apple

Apple noted how AI could solve problems in areas such as photography, such as when trying to scan documents using a device’s camera.

“We’ve all tried scanning a document in certain lighting conditions where it’s difficult to avoid casting a shadow,” Ternus said. “The new Pro solves this problem. It uses AI to automatically detect documents such as forms and receipts. If shadows are in the way, it instantly takes several photos thanks to the new adaptive flash. The images are stitched together and the result is a significantly better scan.

While none of the mentions of AI stood out as being a major breakthrough, they suggested that Apple’s style would be to note AI improvements related to improving the consumer experience when the use of its devices. You can watch the full video of the event here:

We expect to hear a lot more about Apple’s AI plans at WWDC, where the company could even announce an AI-powered Siri or a partnership with an AI vendor like Google or OpenAI, rumors suggest.

While references to AI were scattered throughout, Tuesday’s event focused primarily on the new hardware itself, including a new iPad Air featuring an M2 chip and the first-ever 13-inch form factor; a new iPad Pro with an all-new M4 chip and stacked OLED screens for a higher-fidelity display; a Pro version of the Apple Pencil with new sensors; and a new version of the Magic Keyboard.