How do the AI models compare?

Apple has just announced its long-awaited own artificial intelligence system for iPhone, iPad and Mac, simply named Apple Intelligence. This take on AI combines the “power of generative models with personal context to deliver intelligence that’s incredibly useful and relevant”.

After this announcement, we’re keen to see how the features of the new AI model compares to Google’s AI model, Gemini.

Unveiled in December 2023 as a rebrand to Google Bard, Google says Gemini is its “largest and most capable AI model” which can “generalise and seamlessly understand, operate across and combine different types of information including text, code, audio, image and video.”

We’ve compared and listed the key features of the two AI models below so you can learn more about Apple and Google’s AI offerings.

Apple Intelligence will be free

While Google Gemini is available as a free chatbot and just requires a Google account, it also has a paid-for subscription, Gemini Advanced. This plan costs £18.99/$19.99 a month and offers a “full AI experience” as it’s able to deal with complex tasks and more demanding needs.

Apple in comparison has said that its Intelligence software will be free to use once it arrives in beta this autumn.

Google Gemini is available in up to 40 languages

Google says that Gemini Apps is available in over 40 languages, including English, Japanese, Arabic, Chinese (Simplified/Traditional) and many more, all while Google continues to teach Gemini “how to respond in even more languages”.

In comparison, upon its autumn launch Apple Intelligence will only be available in US English although Apple does note that “additional languages” will be coming over the course of the next year.

Apple Intelligence uses ChatGPT

Apple has paired with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into Siri and the new Writing Tools feature of Apple Intelligence, which means anyone with a compatible device will be able to access ChatGPT for free without needing to create an account. If you already have a paid ChatGPT subscription then don’t worry, as you’ll be able to access those features here too. 

Apple explains that thanks to ChatGPT integration, you’ll no longer need to jump between tools to find an answer as Siri will be able to tap into ChatGPT for certain requests. 

Both can generate images

Unlike OpenAI’s Dall-E which requires a paid subscription to access image generation, Gemini has opened this up for almost all users, and so will Apple Intelligence in due course. 

Apple Intelligence will allow users to “produce fun, original images in seconds” with the Image Playground, either by creating an entirely new image based on a description or prompt, with suggested concepts, or by analysing a subject from your Photos library. 

Google Gemini currently lets select users generate their own images “in seconds” either on their computers, Android smartphones, iPhone or iPads. There are a few exceptions however, as image generation is not available in the European Economic Area, Switzerland and the UK, nor is it available for users under 18 years old.

Google Gemini is available now

Google Gemini is currently available on web browsers and mobile apps across Android and iOS. In selected countries, Gemini is integrated into existing Android apps such as Messages. Google also announced recently that new Chromebook Plus laptops will come shipped with Gemini built-into the device too.

We’ll have to wait to access Apple Intelligence. At the time of writing, Apple hasn’t provided a specific date for a general launch, only that beta testing will commence in the autumn. At present, these are the only devices confirmed to be compatible with Apple Intelligence when it does launch:

• iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPad Pro (M1 and later)
• iPad Air (M1 and later)
• MacBook Air (M1 and later)
• MacBook Pro (M1 and later)
• iMac (M1 and later)
• Mac mini (M1 and later)
• Mac Studio (M1 Max and later)
• Mac Pro (M2 Ultra)