News
Apple paid intelligence features are likely at least 3 years away
Top 3 Key Points:
- Apple may eventually charge for advanced AI features, but not for at least three years.
- Current AI features like Siri and Image Playground run on-device and won’t have a cost soon.
- Apple is still developing more sophisticated AI tools before considering any paid offerings.
Recent reports suggest that Apple might introduce paid AI features, with speculation around a potential $20/month fee. However, industry insights indicate that this is unlikely to happen for at least three more years.
In a recent edition of the Power On newsletter, tech journalist Mark Gurman addressed these rumors. While he agrees that Apple may eventually charge for advanced AI capabilities, he clarified that it won’t happen as soon as some might think.
At the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple introduced a new set of AI-powered tools, including an enhanced version of Siri, Genmoji, and Image Playground, among others. These features primarily operate on the device itself, which means they don’t rely heavily on cloud computing like some competitors’ AI tools. Given this, it wouldn’t make sense for Apple to start charging users for these relatively basic features so early in the game.
Gurman anticipates that Apple will need to develop more sophisticated AI functions before asking users to pay for them. He estimates that it could take up to three years or more before these advanced features are ready for the market. So, for now, there’s no need to worry about an additional charge for using Siri or any other Apple Intelligence tools.