The highlight of OpenAI’s livestream today (December 11) was the deep integration of ChatGPT into Apple Intelligence, which is happening as part of the iOS 18.2 release. This integration transforms Siri into a more capable assistant by leveraging ChatGPT’s advanced reasoning and language capabilities.
Users with Apple Intelligence-capable iPhones running iOS 18.2 can now open Siri, ask it to analyze documents, and send tasks directly to ChatGPT for more detailed processing. That's provided they've gone to Settings on the iPhone to enable ChatGPT usage.
During a demo, OpenAI showcased how Siri with ChatGPT can review a document such as a holiday playlist, answer questions about it, and edit in real time. This partnership with Apple enhances the functionality of Siri, allowing users to create project lists, generate music playlists, and even open ChatGPT’s Canvas to customize outputs. The integration bridges the gap between Siri’s on-device processing and OpenAI’s advanced models. This integration also allows users to refine and expand outputs without switching between multiple tools.
Another use case featured Visual Intelligence, another iOS 18.2 addition that works with iPhone 16 models and uses images captured by the camera to look up more information. In a Visual Intelligence demo, users snapped a photo of the livestream hosts in Christmas sweaters, asking ChatGPT to judge their outfits. The system not only delivered humorous commentary but demonstrated practical applications for visual understanding as to why one holiday sweater won over the others. (Sam Altman won, by the way.)
Why it matters
This partnership between OpenAI and Apple signals a new era for virtual assistants. Siri, often criticized for its limited functionality, now benefits from ChatGPT’s advanced AI capabilities, making it smarter, more versatile, and better equipped to handle complex requests.
With this integration, users can access the best of both worlds: Apple Intelligence’s on-device privacy and efficiency, combined with ChatGPT’s expansive reasoning and creative potential. Tasks that once felt cumbersome — like creating detailed project lists or reviewing technical documents — are now streamlined into a few simple commands.
Sam Altman summed it up perfectly during the live stream: “We are thrilled about this release. We hope you love it and are grateful to our friends at Apple.” As AI continues to evolve, this partnership is a major step toward creating a seamless, AI-driven user experience across devices.
From Siri’s newfound capabilities with ChatGPT to Sora’s innovative video generation and Canvas’s powerful editing tools, OpenAI is setting a new standard for productivity and creativity. As a bonus, Sam Altman hinted at “faster image generation” in the near future. We can only hope to see it on the team's list of OpenAI’s 12 Days of Announcements.
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