Apple’s Biggest Announcements, and AI Use in Schools

Quantious Team

Published in

Quantious

4 min readJun 13, 2024

Emerging Tech Roundup — June 14

The Quantious team’s top picks for timely trending news in the tech world.

This week in tech: Scientists created an AI tool that monitors coral reef health, Apple is set to launch its AI initiatives under the brand name ‘Apple Intelligence,’ Apple announced that iOS 18 will feature an AI-upgraded Bitmoji, Yahoo is updating Yahoo Mail on the desktop with new AI capabilities, Spotify will soon show users personalized banners and messages based on their listening habits, a poll found that AI usage among K-12 students and teachers surged over the past year, and the Apple Vision Pro is making its first debit outside the U.S. this month.

A New AI Tool to Help Monitor Coral Reef Health

(Google Blog, June 6)

Scientists have created SurfPerch, an AI tool that monitors coral reef health by analyzing underwater sounds. SurfPerch can process thousands of hours of audio to identify fish sounds and assess biodiversity, providing valuable insights into reef activity and health. This collaborative effort among marine biologists, creatives, programmers, and citizen scientists aims to enhance coral reef conservation and restoration.

Report: Apple to Launch iOS 18 AI Features Marketed as ‘Apple Intelligence’

(9 to 5 Mac, June 7)

Apple is set to launch its AI initiatives under the brand name ‘Apple Intelligence’ in iOS 18 and other operating systems, with the official announcement at the WWDC keynote on Monday. The Apple Intelligence suite will include features like AI-generated notification summaries, rich auto-reply suggestions in Messages and Mail, intelligent email categorization, and an emoji creator that updates as users type. Additionally, the Photos app will gain AI-powered editing tools, and Voice Memos will feature automatic transcription.

Apple Debuts AI-Generated … Bitmoji

(Tech Crunch, June 10)

Apple announced that iOS 18 will feature an Apple Intelligence-powered tool allowing iPhone users to create AI images of people they are messaging with. This feature, designed to enhance everyday conversations, lets users personalize chats with custom AI images, such as a friend celebrating a birthday or a mom in a superhero cape. The new capabilities, including the Genmoji feature and the Image Playground app, will support various styles like sketch, illustration, and animation, and will work across apps like Notes, Freeform, Keynote, and Pages.

Yahoo Mail is Adding More AI to Simplify Desktop Email

(Tech Crunch, June 11)

Yahoo is updating Yahoo Mail on the desktop with new AI capabilities and features to simplify email and task management. Highlights include AI-generated summaries with bulleted lists for proposed tasks, located under the new Priority inbox tab, which uses AI to highlight important messages. Additionally, quick action buttons will allow users to easily add events to a calendar, check in for flights, and track packages while a new persistent “starred view” panel provides quick access to important tasks and items.

Spotify Will Start Showing You Personalized Banners and Messages Based on Your Listening Habits

(Engadget, June 11)

Spotify has launched the “My Spotify” campaign to enhance user personalization on its platform. This initiative features homepage banners and personalized messages with information about users’ listening habits and links to tailored mixes, such as a Doja Cat mix for a user who frequently streams her tracks. Additionally, My Spotify banners may direct users to the “Made For You” hub, offering personalized playlists, podcasts, and recommendations, providing year-round insights into listening habits beyond the annual Wrapped feature.

AI is Getting Very Popular Among Students and Teachers, Very Quickly

(CNBC, June 11)

A recent poll by Impact Research found AI usage among K-12 students and teachers has surged over the past year, with almost half reporting weekly use of ChatGPT. Familiarity with ChatGPT rose significantly, with 79% of teachers and 75% of students now aware of the AI tool. The majority of students and parents hold favorable views of AI chatbots, with 70% of K-12 students and 68% of parents expressing positive opinions.

Apple Vision Pro to Sell in China, Japan and Singapore By End of This Month in First Debut Outside the U.S.

(CNBC, June 12)

Apple announced it will launch its flagship virtual reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, in China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore on June 28, marking its debut outside the United States. The headset, which first became available in the U.S. four months ago at a starting price of $3,499, will sell for its highest price in China at 29,999 yuan ($4,190). Due to China’s tight regulations on content, Apple is collaborating with local developers and companies like Tencent and ByteDance to provide region-specific apps and games.