2024 will be the year Apple jumps on the AI bandwagon. Most analysts expect the company to roll out new AI features with its latest updates, certainly including iOS 18 and macOS 15, as Apple has yet to embrace generative AI in any meaningful way.
While we've heard that Apple may be planning to launch a number of different AI features this year, the latest rumor points to Safari: AppleInsider's sources say Safari 18 will add at least one new AI feature, which could make it compatible with existing features More consistent services like Gemini in Chrome, Copilot in Edge, or Aria in Opera. Additionally, the site shared some other non-AI changes that Apple may be brewing.
Smart search
One AI feature reportedly discovered by AI engineers is "Intelligent Search," which evaluates keywords and phrases in web pages to build summaries for quick reference. The feature uses artificial intelligence models on Apple devices to find specific sentences that explain or describe the problem, as well as repeated words and sentences, to provide this summary, the engineers said.
According to these insiders, Smart Search isn't enabled by default and isn't currently up and running, so it's still unclear exactly how it works. However, it only makes sense for Apple to offer an AI assistant in Safari: Most other companies offering internet browsers also offer some type of AI enhancement. It would be a bit surprising if Safari 18 didn't include an AI web summarizer.
web eraser
The feature is aptly named: With Web Eraser, you can "erase" the parts of a web page you don't want to see, including ads, images, blocks of text, and more. Additionally, Safari remembers your previous eraser settings, so when you return to the web, the same selections will be lost.
We've seen this type of tool, ad blocker, in other services before, but this is certainly a first for Apple. The company may combine Web Eraser with other Safari privacy settings such as iCloud Private Relay.
Quick Setup
Smart search, web eraser, and other Safari features and settings (such as the Aa menu on iOS and iPadOS) are available under Safari's shortcut menu. Currently, macOS Safari's shortcut menu includes privacy features, a sharing menu, and the option to bookmark pages, so it makes sense to bring all of Safari's best features into one place.
Will Safari 18 have an impact on the browser world?
It may not be everyone's first choice, but some consider Safari to be the best web browser out there. Apple has a chance to make the browser better with Safari 18 on iOS 18 and macOS 15: I’m not convinced AI will be that useful for day-to-day use, but if Apple can figure out how to actually add AI useful to Safari I'm all for AI tools (especially if you can turn them off or ignore them).
Although AppleInsider only revealed these three changes in Safari 18, there are undoubtedly many more changes, big and small. In fact, the outlet claims that Apple aims to release an improved visual finder tool for Safari in 2025, which will let you search for images found on the web and learn more about them. While there won't be such big changes this year, Safari on iOS 18 and macOS 15 may have more features and tweaks. We'll be keeping an eye out for any new rumors, but luckily WWDC isn't that far away yet.
