Apple Intelligence: Tech giant unveils new AI iPhone, iPad and iMac features amid OpenAI deal

Apple presented new features on Monday in a bid to join the artificial intelligence (AI) race that will see it bring "Apple Intelligence" to iPad, iPhone and Macs.

"We’re thrilled to introduce a new chapter in Apple innovation. Apple Intelligence will transform what users can do with our products - and what our products can do for our users," Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement.

He said the AI can be accessed in "a completely private and secure way".

The announcement came at the company's World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) as Apple works to catch up to companies such as Microsoft and Google that have become early AI leaders.

Apple is leaning on OpenAI's ChatGPT to make its virtual assistant Siri smarter and more helpful.

Siri's optional gateway to ChatGPT will be free to all iPhone users and made available on other Apple products once the option is baked into the next generation of Apple's operating systems.

ChatGPT subscribers are supposed to be able to easily sync their existing accounts when using the iPhone, and should get more advanced features than free users would.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman sat in the front row of the packed conference, which was attended by developers from more than 60 countries.

"Together with Apple, we’re making it easier for people to benefit from what AI can offer," Altman said in a statement.

Beyond allowing Siri to tap into ChatGPT's storehouse of knowledge, Apple is giving its 13-year-old virtual assistant an extensive makeover designed to make it more personable and versatile, even as it currently fields about 1.5 billion queries a day.

It will be able to handle more tasks according to Monday's presentation.

The new features will only work on recent models of Apple products as the devices need