Concerns About Apple Intelligence on Vision Pro

The highly anticipated visionOS 2.4 software update is set to introduce Apple Intelligence to the Vision Pro headset this coming April. This update has been made available for developers to test, with a stable public release expected soon.

Apple has highlighted that visionOS 2.4 brings forth a suite of AI features designed to enhance spatial computing. These features include Writing Tools, Image Playground, Genmoji, and Spatial Gallery – a dedicated application for curating spatial photos, videos, and panoramas.

The suite of AI tools introduced with visionOS 2.4 closely mirrors functionalities already found in Apple's ecosystem, such as text generation and smart replies. This aims to integrate the Vision Pro more seamlessly with the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

While these advancements are generally seen as positive, expectations regarding their impact are measured. Apple’s history with AI features has led to a lukewarm reception; tools like generative text and images are nice to have but do not drastically alter the user experience. Delays in enhancing Siri have further tempered excitement around these AI offerings.

It's somewhat surprising that it has taken Apple this long to roll out these features for the Vision Pro, especially given the existing capabilities of the M2 chipset that powers the device. Although Apple adopts a cautionary approach towards deploying AI technologies, one might expect a premium device like the Vision Pro, priced at $3,500, to showcase cutting-edge AI experiences from the start.

The initial launch featuring Apple Intelligence will be in beta form. Users will need to set their headset's language to US English to access these features. Over time, additional AI tools and language support are anticipated to be introduced.

For users in regions including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and several others, the Spatial Gallery feature will become available upon the release of visionOS 2.4.

In conclusion, while the introduction of Apple Intelligence on the Vision Pro headset marks an essential step towards aligning it with the rest of Apple's products, it remains to be seen how transformative these features will be in practice.

Apple, Vision, AI