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visionOS 2.4 RC brings these Apple Intelligence features and more

After a mild visionOS 2.3 update, Apple is nearing the end of visionOS 2.4 beta testing with its RC. This upcoming software update, among other new features, readies support for Apple Intelligence.

Apple Intelligence has been available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices with A17 Pro or M chipsets for a few months. Now, it’s making its way to Apple Vision Pro, which is more than capable of running Apple Intelligence capabilities with the M2 chip and 16GB of RAM.

These are some of the features available with visionOS 2.4 RC:

  • Writing Tools: Users can rewrite, proofread, and summarize text nearly everywhere they write, including Mail, Notes, Pages, and third-party apps;
  • Image Playground: Users can create playful images in seconds, choosing from Animation, Illustration, or Sketch. This app is built right into apps like Messages and is also available in a dedicated app;
  • Memories in Photos: Users can create stories they want to see just by typing a description. Apple Intelligence will pick out the best photos and videos based on the description, craft a storyline with chapters based on themes identified from the photos, and arrange them into a movie with its own narrative arc;
  • Clean Up tool: This Photos app feature can identify and remove distracting objects in the background of a photo without accidentally altering the subject;
  • Siri: Users type to Siri and switch between text and voice to communicate with Siri in whatever way feels right for the moment.
  • ChatGPT integration: When you feel Apple Intelligence isn’t enough, you can allow ChatGPT to access Writing Tools and other features for a better response.

Even though better Apple Intelligence capabilities have been delayed, including the long-awaited personalized Siri, it’s nice to have the platform finally available on Apple Vision Pro, ahead of its rumored packed visionOS 3 update.

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In addition to Apple Intelligence, visionOS 2.4 RC introduces Spatial Gallery, an app that features spatial photos, videos, and panoramas curated by Apple for Vision Pro. There’s also a new Apple Vision Pro for iPhone that users can take advantage of to queue apps and games to download, discover new content, and more. Guest User has also been revamped so Apple Vision Pro owners can customize everything from their iPhone or iPad.

Alongside visionOS 2.4 RC, Apple is also releasing the release candidate versions of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, macOS 15.4, watchOS 11.4, and tvOS 18.4. We’ll let you know if we find anything new with them.

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tvOS 18.4 and watchOS 11.4 RC available with new emojis

Apple is nearing the end of its upcoming operating systems beta testing, including watchOS 11.4 and tvOS 18.4. At this moment, only one main feature—seven new emojis—has been confirmed for watchOS 11.4 RC. Besides that, we expect a few tweaks for Apple Watch and Apple TV users with tvOS 18.4 RC.

As mentioned above, watchOS 11.4 RC added new emojis. Back in May, Unicode previewed seven new emojis, including a face with bags under the eyes, a fingerprint, a leafless tree, a root vegetable, a harp, a shovel, and splatter.

With watchOS 10.4, Apple added the following figures: Mushroom, phoenix, lime, broken chain, and shaking heads. In addition, 18 people and body emojis were added, with the option to face them in either direction. With that update, Apple also added Siri improvements, which we could see again. Since Apple Intelligence is unavailable for Apple Watch users, it shouldn’t stop the company from improving its personal assistant on the watch.

For tvOS 18.4, there are two main features we are still waiting for:

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  • New screensavers: Besides Snoopy screensavers, Apple promised another option for its Shows and Movies. During tvOS 18.2 beta testing, MacRumors found references to two other screensavers, but they have been removed on the following tvOS 18.3 beta; it’s unclear if Apple will bring new screensavers or if it’s already saving them for tvOS 19;
  • Robot vacuum support: While it was rumored to arrive later last year, Apple postponed this feature. It’s possible that tvOS 18.4 finally adds it.

Besides those features, watchOS 11.4 and tvOS 18.4 RC seem light on features. We also don’t know any rumors about the company’s focus on watchOS 12 and tvOS 19, even though there are reports that Apple plans to revamp its smart home offering with an Amazon Echo Show-like device, a doorbell ring with Face ID, and more.

Alongside watchOS 11.4 and tvOS 18.4 rc, Apple also seeded the release candidate versions of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, macOS 15.4, and visionOS 2.4.

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Our data, our decisions, our AI future: why we need an AI Regulation Bill

There were many consequences of the extraordinary timing of last July’s General Election.  One was that my AI Regulation Bill, which had made its way through all stages in the House of Lords and was just about to go to the Commons, was stopped in its tracks. Almost a year later, a new government and another Parliament has provided the opportunity to reintroduce my AI Bill, as I did last week.

If the need for artificial intelligence (AI) regulation was pressing in November 2023, when I first brought my Bill to bear, that need is now well past urgent and, it seems, even further from fruition.

How the sands have shifted, both domestically and internationally.  A UK government, keen on AI regulation while in opposition, slated an AI Bill in the King’s Speech last summer. Now, some eight months later, there is still no sign of a Bill and what appears to be an increasing reluctance to do anything much until they have squared it with the US. 

Making the case for regulation

At the Paris AI Action Summit earlier this year, a declaration for inclusive and sustainable AI was signed by international participants, although both the UK and US decided not to put their pens to that paper. 

Further, the AI Safety Institute has been renamed the AI Security Institute signalling a definite shift towards cyber security rather than a broader focus on “safety” that would include mitigating risks associated with societal impacts of AI models

All of this makes the case – the more than urgent case – for UK AI regulation. It seems we still have to slay that falsehood which recurs with tedious inevitability – that you can have innovation or regulation but you can’t have both. This is a false dichotomy. The choice is not between innovation or regulation. The challenge is to design right-sized regulation – a challenge that has become much more pronounced in the digital age.

With no current AI-specific regulation, it is us, as consumers, creatives and citizens who find ourselves exposed to the technologies Lord Chris Holmes

Every learning from history informs us, right-sized regulation is good for citizen, consumer, creative, innovator, and investor. We all know bad regulation – sure, there’s some of that around but that’s bad regulation, that in no sense says to us regulation of itself is bad. 

Take the UK approach to open banking as an illustration, replicated by over 60 jurisdictions right around the world.  A determined, thought-through regulatory intervention created in the UK – good for consumer, good for innovator and investor.

We know how to get right-sized regulation, well, right. This could be no more important than when it comes to AI, a suite of technologies with such potentially positively transforming opportunities – economic, social, psychological.  All potentially positive if we regulate it right.

A regulatory approach

My attempt to design a flexible, principles-based, outcomes-focused and inputs-understood, regulatory approach for AI is set out in the provisions of the Bill.

First, an AI Authority.  Don’t think of a huge bureaucratic burdensome behemoth – not a bit of it. We need an agile, right-touch, horizontally focused, small “r” regulator, intended to range across all existing regulators to assess their capacity and competency to address the opportunities and challenges AI affords.  Through this, crucially, to identify the gaps where there exists no regulator or regulatory cover, recruitment being one obvious example. 

The AI Authority would stand as the champion and custodian of the principles set out for voluntary consideration in the previous government’s whitepaper – those principles, put into statute through this Bill.

The Bill would also establish AI responsible officers, to the extent that any business which develops, deploys or uses AI must have a designated AI officer. The AI responsible officer would have to ensure the safe, ethical, unbiased and non-discriminatory use of AI by the business and to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, that data used by that business in any AI technology is unbiased. 

Again, don’t think unnecessarily bureaucratic and burdensome. Proportionality prevails and we already have a well-established and well-understood path for reporting through adding to the provisions set out in the Companies Act.

With no current AI-specific regulation, it is us, as consumers, creatives and citizens who find ourselves exposed to the technologies. Clear, effective labelling, as provided for in the Bill, would hugely help. 

It holds that, any person supplying a product or service involving AI must give customers clear and unambiguous health warnings, labelling and opportunities to give or withhold informed consent in advance. Technologies already exist to enable such labelling.

Similarly, the Bill supports our creatives through intellectual property and copyright protection. No AI business should be able to simply gobble up others property without consent and, rightly, remuneration.

Public engagement

The most important provisions in the Bill are those around the question of public engagement. The Bill requires the government to “implement a programme for meaningful, long-term public engagement”. It is only through such engagement that we are likely to be able to move forward together, cognisant of the risks and mitigations, rationally optimistic as to the opportunities. 

When the Warnock inquiry was established to do just this as IVF was being developed in the 1980s, we had the luxury of time. The inquiry was set up in 1982 and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act came into force in 1991.

Technologies, not least AI, are developing so rapidly we have to act faster. The technologies themselves offer some of the solution, enabling real-time ongoing public engagement in a manner not possible even a few years ago. If we don’t address this, the likely outcome is that many will fail to avail themselves of the advantages while simultaneously being saddled with the downsides, sharp at best – at extreme, existential.

To conclude, we need regulation – cross-sector AI regulation for citizen, consumer, creative, innovator, investor.  We must make this a reality and bring to life, for all our lives, that uniting truth – our data, our decisions, our AI futures.

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IT Sustainability Think Tank: Environmental trends to redefine IT strategies in 2025

Sustainability is a critical driver for business growth. This is not just a response to consumer demand but also a strategic move to mitigate risks associated with environmental changes. For instance, changing weather patterns have already impacted over half of global businesses, prompting significant operational shifts.

Investors are also raising the bar. Companies with strong sustainability credentials are becoming more attractive, with these credentials often surpassing traditional metrics like productivity.

With this in mind, Gartner has identified nine environmental trends IT leaders need to get on the front foot of in order to redefine their IT strategies in 2025.

These trends are not just reactive measures but proactive strategies that offer competitive advantages.

Distributed energy resources (DERs)

Small-scale energy systems, such as solar panels and microgrids, are revolutionising power consumption. DERs reduce costs, alleviate grid congestion, and provide organisations with more control over energy sources. IT leaders should explore integrating DERs into operations, particularly for powering datacentres and edge computing sites.

Climate adaptation

The increasing frequency of extreme weather events necessitates robust climate adaptation strategies. Resilient infrastructure, predictive weather analytics, and other measures are essential for safeguarding operations and ensuring business continuity.

Resource-positive buildings

 Imagine buildings that generate more energy, water, or heat than they consume. Resource-positive designs are reshaping sustainable construction, with IT playing a crucial role through smart sensors, Internet of Things platforms, and real-time monitoring systems.

 Digitally enabled sustainability

 Digital tools such as analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and automation are becoming indispensable for reducing environmental impacts. IT leaders can leverage predictive maintenance to optimise energy consumption and use AI-driven insights to identify inefficiencies across operations.

Circular economy models

The days of “take, make, waste” are over. Circular economy principles focus on extending product lifecycles through reuse, repair, and recycling. For IT, this means adopting modular hardware designs, refurbishing assets, and reducing e-waste.

Hidden greenhouse gas and emissions from waste

Unaccounted-for emissions from landfills are a silent contributor to climate change. IT leaders must track these emissions across supply chains and operations, implementing better waste management systems to address the issue.

Be prepared for course corrections on the path to net-zero

 Setting net-zero targets is easy – achieving them is another story. IT leaders must focus on practical, interim actions such as transitioning to renewable energy, tracking scope 3 emissions, and adopting carbon-offsetting technologies. Transparency is key to building stakeholder trust.

Environmental consequences of conflict

Geopolitical unrest exacerbates environmental challenges, from damaged infrastructure to displaced populations and biodiversity loss. Organisations must assess supply chain vulnerabilities and implement strategies to manage risks in volatile regions.

Space pollution

A growing concern, space debris from retired satellites and discarded rocket components threatens critical infrastructure, including communications networks. IT leaders should stay informed on this emerging issue and advocate for sustainable satellite technologies.

Ignoring these trends is not an option. From regulatory penalties to reputational damage, the risks of inaction are clear. IT leaders must take proactive steps to address environmental challenges and transform them into opportunities for growth and resilience.

This involves adopting resilient practices by building infrastructure and processes that can withstand environmental disruptions, as well as implementing systems to monitor and manage greenhouse gas emissions across operations.

Embracing circularity is another crucial strategy, which includes transitioning to modular, reusable IT assets and prioritising recycling initiatives to minimise waste.

Additionally, IT leaders should reduce dependency on centralised grids by leveraging localised energy solutions, such as distributed energy resources, to enhance operational efficiency and sustainability. By acting decisively and thinking innovatively, IT leaders can ensure their organisations remain competitive in the face of environmental challenges.

Looking ahead: a strategic necessity

The environmental challenges outlined here are not distant threats — they are immediate disruptors that demand urgent action. Every delay increases the risks of resource depletion, regulatory penalties, and reputational damage.

IT leaders have a pivotal role in shaping the response, not just by mitigating risks but by positioning their organisations as innovators in sustainability.

The question isn’t whether to act—it’s how quickly you can adapt to these realities. Organisations that proactively integrate these environmental trends into their IT strategies will not only safeguard their future but also unlock competitive advantages that propel them ahead of their peers.

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iPhone, iPad update fixes critical WebKit flaw

Apple has released updated versions of its iOS and iPadOS mobile operating system (OS) that address a potentially dangerous vulnerability that appears to have been exploited in the wild.

The two releases, iOS 18.3.2 and iPadOS 18.3.2, are available for iPhone XS and later, iPad Pro 13-inch, iPad Pro 12.9-inch 3rd generation and later, iPad Pro 11-inch 1st generation and later, iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad 7th generation and later, and iPad mini 5th generation and later.

Collectively, the update addresses a single vulnerability tracked as CVE-2025-24201. Apple customarily releases very sparse details of the vulnerabilities it addresses to avoid giving too much away to threat actors, and the flaw in question is no exception.

Apple revealed that the flaw is an out-of-bounds write issue affecting the WebKit open source web browser engine that powers Safari, Mail, App Store and many other Apple and Linux ecosystem applications.

Cupertino said: “Maliciously crafted web content may be able to break out of Web Content sandbox. This is a supplementary fix for an attack that was blocked in iOS 17.2.”

Version 17.2 of the two OSes dates back just over a year to December 2023, and besides security fixes brought a large number of new features to Apple’s mobile estate, including the launch of a diary feature called Journal, and enhancements to its Weather app, among other things.

Nation-state adversary?

In its update notes, Apple indicated that it took steps to address the issue after it became aware of exploitation of CVE-2025-24201 in the wild. The firm said: “Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals on versions of iOS before iOS 17.2.”

The fact that this attack is being described as sophisticated and targeted likely indicates that the vulnerability was used by a nation-state threat actor, possibly against individuals of interest to the intelligence services in that country. To Western ears, this could indicate exploitation by actors linked to China, Iran, North Korea or Russia.

However, given Apple mobile devices are so widely used, other countries and even private companies are known to seek out and leverage vulnerabilities in its device estate for similar purposes.

Notably, disgraced Israeli spyware manufacturer NSO Group – the organisation behind the Pegasus malware that was famously used by the Saudi Arabian regime against murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi – exploited multiple Apple vulnerabilities in the service of its mercenary activities.

Even though this might indicate the risk to everyday members of the public might be limited, Sylvain Cortes, vice-president of strategy at Hackuity, told Computer Weekly that all users should take steps to protect themselves.

“The flaw poses a significant risk to users of older versions of the operating system, particularly those released before iOS 17.2,” said Cortes. “We highly encourage users to update their devices to iOS 18.3.2 as soon as possible to maintain the security and privacy of their data.”

Besides the fix, the update also brings new customisation options for Apple users, a redesigned Photos application, “new ways to express yourself” in Messages, a hiking feature in Maps, and updates to Wallet.

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How the foldable iPhone’s unusual design could support Face ID

A report from Ming-Chi Kuo said a few weeks ago that Apple’s first foldable iPhone will be an iPhone Fold-type device that resembles Samsung’s. The handset will be ultra-thin, which is one reason why Apple will have to abandon Face ID and bring back Touch ID.

The fingerprint sensor would be embedded in a side button similar to the iPad and other foldable phones from competitors, including Fold and Flip models.

I said at the time that the lack of Face ID might be a dealbreaker for me, as the 3D face recognition system plays a huge role in my iPhone experience. Face ID does more for me than just unlocking the phone. I use Face ID in every app that supports it, and thanks to iOS, I can also add Face ID support to any app.

Of course, all of that can happen with Touch ID. I just happen to prefer Face ID over Touch ID and would always choose face recognition over fingerprints.

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But what if Apple’s unusual design for the foldable iPhone will actually help it bring Face ID to the handset? I’ve had this idea thanks to an unexpected foldable that launched last week, a device with a quirky design that I think heralds the iPhone Fold design.

What’s unusual about the foldable iPhone’s design?

Leaks that predate Kuo’s claims about the foldable iPhone’s revival of Touch ID say the phone will have an unexpected aspect ratio for a Fold-type foldable. The phone will not be as tall as Samsung’s Fold. Also, it should be wider when folded. The result is an unfolded device that looks more like an iPad mini 7.

I already used ChatGPT to determine the dimensions of a foldable iPhone based on screen size leaks, and it all makes sense.

But considering the thickness factor in Kuo’s report, Face ID might not happen. I explained recently why the iPhone 17 Air’s horizontal camera bar needs to happen. It might be related to Face ID components, which could be thicker than the phone.

If the foldable iPhone is even thinner than the iPhone 17 Air, it won’t have room for Face ID. 

Also, there’s another problem. Where do you put the Face ID sensor? On the cover screen or on the inside? The cover screen lets you unlock the device and the apps you use on that display. But you’re likelier to use apps that benefit from Face ID protection on the larger foldable screen.

Meet the Huawei Pura X

Huawei Pura X folded and unfolded.Huawei Pura X folded and unfolded. Image source: Huawei

Last week, Huawei unveiled the Pura X, a device unlike any other foldable. If anything, the Pura X (seen above) teases the iPhone Fold design.

The Pura X folds into a phone about as big as a clamshell foldable. Think Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 6. But when it unfolds, you get a tablet experience similar to the Galaxy Z Fold. That’s because this Flip-type device is wider than others. Put differently, You can look at the Pura X as a Fold-type device much shorter than the Galaxy Z Fold.

How does this design help Apple put Face ID on the foldable iPhone? Check out the horizontal camera bar of the Pura X. That’s the phone’s main camera system, which sits on top of the cover screen when the phone is folded, acting as a more advanced selfie camera system than your usual selfie cam.

Unfold the Pura X, and that camera system can be used both vertically and horizontally, depending on how you hold the foldable.

What interests me here is the Pura X’s main camera system always pointing at your face when you take the phone out to use it. If the iPhone Fold has a similar design, it could have an identical main camera placement.

There’s precedent in other foldables

I’m speculating here, but I think Apple could integrate Face ID components into the camera modules that are usually reserved for the back of the iPhone. With an iPhone Fold similar to the Pura X, that camera module would actually sit on the front. As ugly as that protrusion might be on the Pura X, a similar main camera placement would give the foldable iPhone Face ID support.

All of this is speculation at this point, yes. Also, I’d still have a Face ID problem that needs fixing. Unfold the Pura X, and you get a foldable phone with a hole-punch camera at the top. If that’s how the foldable iPhone looks, you can’t also place Face ID at the top of the foldable iPhone.

Therefore, unlocking apps with the screen unfolded remains a problem. 

Back to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 6, I’ll tell you that the phone does support face recognition. The system works both with the hole-punch camera and the main camera lens placed atop the cover screen. I’ve used Samsung’s face unlock tech, and it works, even if it’s not as sophisticated as Apple’s.

Galaxy Z Fiip 6's camera supports face recognition scans.Galaxy Z Fiip 6’s camera supports face recognition scans. Image source: Chris Smith, BGR

What I’m getting at is that Apple could get Face ID working on the cover screen by turning the main camera module into a Face ID sensor. When the iPhone is unfolded, Apple could use 2D face unlock for non-sensitive apps or switch to Touch ID.

It all sounds complicated, yes. Using only Touch ID to unlock everything on your phone would be less trouble for users. But I still hope that Face ID will be available on foldable iPhones. Eventually, Face ID components will shrink, and foldable iPhones will support Face ID. But I’d want the tech in a first-gen device as well.

That said, the Pura X doesn’t support 3D face unlock. The Huawei foldable has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor instead.

Rumors say the iPhone Fold will not feature Face ID, but the foldable’s unusual design might make it possible.

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The end is near for Windows 10 and Microsoft won’t let you forget it

If you’re still using Windows 10, Microsoft wants to make sure you know that time is running out. The company has officially started emailing users with a not-so-subtle reminder that support for Windows 10 will end on October 14, 2025. The message is clear: upgrade now or risk being left behind.

The email was recently spotted by Windows Latest and comes with a bold headline: “End of support for Windows 10 is approaching.” It then provides direct links for users to check their upgrade eligibility or buy a new PC—because, of course, Microsoft would rather you do the latter.

The reminder also includes a FAQ section to answer some burning questions. Microsoft confirms that after October 2025, Windows 10 devices will no longer receive updates, including critical security patches. While your PC will still work, it will gradually lose compatibility with apps and become more vulnerable to cyber threats.

What’s interesting is what Microsoft doesn’t mention. There’s no real discussion of the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, which offers one extra year of security updates for Windows 10 for $30. While Enterprise users have additional options, Microsoft seems reluctant to promote any solution other than upgrading to Windows 11.

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Panos Panay at a Windows 11 eventImage source: Microsoft

The lack of emphasis on the ESU program in this latest Windows 10 end-of-support email might suggest that Microsoft doesn’t expect everyday users to pay for security patches—or that they simply want to push people toward a full upgrade instead.

Another not-so-subtle nudge in the email is a suggestion to back up files with OneDrive. While this is useful advice, it’s also an obvious attempt to promote Microsoft’s cloud storage service. But don’t worry; OneDrive isn’t going anywhere, and there’s no reason to believe it will stop working after Windows 10 reaches its expiration date.

For millions of users still clinging to Windows 10, the decision isn’t so simple, though. Many older PCs aren’t eligible for Windows 11, leaving users with limited options. Then there are the myriad of AI features Microsoft is pushing with Windows 11 that many aren’t huge fans of.

As the deadline gets closer, Microsoft’s messaging is only going to get louder. Whether you choose to upgrade, pay for extended security, or switch to another OS, Windows 10’s time is officially running out.

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Salesforce execs at TDX 25: Agentforce a whole system AI play

At the TDX 2025 developer conference in San Francisco, Salesforce executives presented its Agentforce agentic AI technology as a “whole system” approach, where large language models (LLMs) are less significant than a “trinity” of data, applications and agents. Relatedly, they consistently disparage “DIY” artificial intelligence (AI) programmes.

Paula Goldman, the supplier’s chief ethical and humane use officer, said: “I think a lot of the public discourse about AI has been about [large language] models. But if you think about Agentforce, it’s a whole system. There’s a foundation model, and then there’s a series of smaller models that go into our Atlas system, and there are workflows that are automated that people can draw on. We’ve got used to talking about AI as models over the past few years, but I think we need to be talking about systems.”

David Schmaier, president and chief product officer at Salesforce, said the supplier’s entire technology stack, including Slack and Tableau, comes into play with Agentforce. He also pointed to its Data Cloud platform as central to its AI offer.

“You couldn’t have a computer without a microprocessor; you need storage and RAM and a display and an operating system around it. That’s what we’ve done. We have our data cloud, which harmonises hundreds of thousands of systems. It gives you the data, the metadata and the semantics. That’s why we can outperform an LLM by itself. LLMs have hallucinations, they have bias, toxicity. An LLM is necessary but insufficient. We add to the LLM. Our view is the data powers the AI and then the AI powers the customer experience of the future,” he said.

An LLM is necessary but insufficient. We add to the LLM. Our view is the data powers the AI and then the AI powers the customer experience of the future David Schmaier, Salesforce

“We call it the ‘holy trinity’. We have the Data Cloud, then we have our Sales Cloud, Service Cloud and Marketing Cloud apps – which is how we got the name Salesforce – as well as Slack, Mulesoft and Tableau. And now we have Agentforce on top of all that. That’s how we can turn on 10,600 customers over three days with agents. It’s because we are using the same platform as we have for 25 years. So, with a healthcare company, for example, that has workflows it has bult in its Salesforce deployment, it can make all those available for [virtual] agents,” Schmaier added.

He believes too many organisations are doing DIY AI. “Most people are just trying to take whatever apps they have, whether it’s Salesforce or SAP or Workday, and just buying ChatGPT and trying to plug it in. No other competitor has what we have, in terms of agents. We think we have a real lead in this agentic field. We’ve sold to 5,200 customers since launching at Dreamforce [in September 2024]. Now, we have 200,000 customers, and most don’t use Agentforce today,” he said.

Rahul Auradkar, executive vice-president and general manager of Unified Data Services and Einstein at Salesforce, made a similar argument about what the provider calls DIY AI.

“What we are doing with agents is an entire system. We’re not shipping a model, an app or a copilot. We’re shipping an AI system on a deeply unified platform. What that system allows our enterprise customers, who don’t want to do the DIY, to do is surface customer-centric analytics and workflows, and listen to the customers to feed back to the system so the agents get better. Copilots are a narrow sliver of what AI can be,” he said.

“The difference between a DIY AI and an enterprise using [our] system is that the enterprise can focus on things that they are good at, which is plenty of things. They have their data. The have their transactions. They have their engagement data. They have their AI policies, their workflows, their automations. We bring all that together within a deeply unified platform and drive value for our customers,” added Auradkar.

DIY AI programmes strongly in evidence among users

And yet, analyst research from Informa TechTarget’s Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) offers a contrast with Salesforce’s disparagement of DIY AI – a complicating contrast rather than a confutation, but a contrast nevertheless.

Towards the end of 2024, ESG surveyed 832 professionals at organisations across the globe involved in the strategy, decision-making, selection, deployment and management of generative AI (GenAI) initiatives and projects at their organisations and familiar with their organisation’s use of third parties to support GenAI initiatives.

The resulting report, The state of the generative AI market: Widespread transformation continues – authored by Mark Beccue, principal analyst, Mike Leone, practice director and principal analyst, and Emily Marsh, associate research director – does find support for an agentic AI philosophy: “Respondents most often said that they see AI agents, virtual assistants, and intelligent chatbots powered by AI as valuable productivity tools, though they also often said they view them with cautious optimism (41%). Over two-thirds of organisations are planning for or considering AI agents, which represents a significant opportunity for AI vendors to target these requirements with capabilities and services.”

They also note, however: “The AI agent market is extremely nascent and loaded with challenges, including managing single-task agents, interoperability problems, the potential emergence of multitask agents and security.”

But the authors also remark, similarly to Salesforce’s Auradkar, that: “A wide majority (84%) of respondents agreed it is important to incorporate their own enterprise data into models that support generative AI. GenAI models themselves are not a competitive differentiator. Rather, effectively identifying, organising and vetting internal data for use with GenAI models is the key to creating unique and highly actionable insights.”

The research also found user organisations to be embracing a variety of LLMs – open source and proprietary. The largest percentage of respondent organisations (43%) are both proprietary and open source models.

Alongside this enthusiasm for using large language models, the study found that organisations are placing “their bets on internal resources, planning to reskill or upskill employees (58%) and provide education and awareness training to employees (43%)”. This suggests a growing cadre of employees who will want to do DIY AI.

The authors comment: “Employee enthusiasm for these technologies is likely at a high point as GenAI excitement pervades many facets of society, so this internal investment will likely be a win-win situation whereby personnel receive welcome development opportunities and the business gains valuable GenAI expertise.”

At Dreamforce in September 2024, Marc Benioff, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Salesforce, was in combative mood in respect of Agentforce, positioning it as a wholescale alternative to generative AI copilot usage, associated with Microsoft and Google, but with other vendors too.

“There’s a lot of narratives out there from vendors, and a lot of it is not true,” he said at the time. “You need to sit with those customers [at the Dreamforce event], look at the code and break the hypnosis coming from all the vendors. There’s plenty of real customers here who are really deploying real AI. But there are billions being invested in copilots, delivering how much productivity increase? Is there a better way to do it? And so, that’s our gambit.”

The game is still being played. The middle game lies ahead.

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Forget Apple Intelligence, Siri doesn’t even know what month it is

It’s not Apple’s finest hour, as the company is going through one of the most humiliating periods of its recent history. Apple had to admit a few days ago that the smarter Siri it advertised as coming this year to iPhone via Apple Intelligence is delayed indefinitely. It’s unclear how long it’ll take for that Siri upgrade to come to iPhone 16 and other supported devices.

The realization that the smarter Siri in Apple Intelligence is just vaporware prompted plenty of backlash from Apple fans unhappy with how Apple handled the delay.

I said at the time that I still want the Siri vision Apple unveiled at WWDC 2024, but I want Apple to be honest about what it can and can’t do. Yes, Apple is well behind ChatGPT and Gemini, considering this massive setback, but it has time to catch up and deliver the product it advertised. Personal AI assistants are the future of computers, and Apple will eventually get there.

Now that we’re used to the idea of Apple Intelligence being a huge letdown, we can go back to using iPhones as if Apple Intelligence doesn’t exist. Without the smart Siri that should have been here, Apple Intelligence is really nothing to write home about. I’ll continue to ignore it, even though it’s finally available in Europe. It offers nothing I need right now.

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However, it looks like Siri, available outside of Apple Intelligence, is somehow getting dumber. People have noticed the iPhone assistant can’t answer simple questions like “What month is it?” and that’s bad news for Apple.

Siri was the key iPhone 4s feature that Apple unveiled all the way back in 2011. That was nearly 15 years ago. It was extraordinary, teasing the sort of iPhone functionality that seemed taken out of a sci-fi movie. You could issue simple voice commands to the assistant, and Siri would provide assistance.

Since then, competitors have overtaken Siri’s capabilities, with Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s Google Assistant being two good examples, despite Apple improving its own voice assistant.

In 2025, you’d expect Siri to understand your question when you ask it what month it is and answer it. Or, at least, Siri could start a web search for your query, which is what it used to do in the past when it couldn’t quite catch what you asked.

That’s not the case. Siri says it doesn’t understand your question when you ask it what month it is. Apple enthusiast John Gruber, who made waves last week pointing out the deeply misleading Apple Intelligence Siri development and marketing, found a Reddit thread where multiple users posted their experience asking Siri what month it is.

Gruber says he reproduced Siri’s “I’m sorry, I don’t understand” on his iPhone 16 Pro running iOS 18.4 beta 4. I asked Siri the same question on my iPhone 16 Pro Max and got the same bewildering answer.

Truth be told, I have no idea whether Siri ever knew what month it was. I never asked that question because it’s not something I need assistance with. I usually know what month it is. But a phone voice assistant should, at the very least, know what month it is.

I even tried to text Siri the same question and got the same response. Dumb Siri can’t answer a basic question. It does know the date, so that’s something. But it can’t extract the month from there.

One Reddit user tried to ask, “What month is it currently?” and got the answer, “It is 2025.” My Siri didn’t understand this question either.

This is just embarrassing for Apple, especially in light of the Apple Intelligence fiasco. I can’t wait to see how and when Apple will address these matters publicly.

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Apple slated in CMA mobile browser investigation

The Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) final report into the mobile browser market has found innovation is being held back by a lack of competition, which could be limiting growth in the UK.

Margot Daly, chair of the CMA’s independent inquiry group, said: “Following our in-depth investigation, we have concluded that competition between different mobile browsers is not working well, and this is holding back innovation in the UK. I welcome the CMA’s prompt action to open strategic market status investigations into both Apple and Google’s mobile ecosystems. The extensive analysis we’ve set out today will help that work as it progresses.”

The final report highlights Apple’s policy that third-party web browsers need to use its underlying browser engine called WebKit, which, the CMA said, determines what competing mobile browsers can do on iOS.

“Apple’s own mobile browser Safari has or has had greater or earlier access to key functionalities from the operating system and Apple’s WebKit browser engine, compared to competing mobile browsers. This has a negative impact on competition and innovation,” the CMA report stated.

The CMA investigation also found Apple appears to be holding back progressive web apps (PWAs), described in the report as “lower cost and easier for developers to build” since they can run on any operating system and do not need to be listed on an app store. This means Apple is unable to charge a commission for hosting them on its App Store, which it does with iOS apps.

While the CMA considered submissions from Apple, in which it said browsers must use WebKit because allowing alternative browser engines could raise security, privacy and performance risks, the regulator felt these risks could be managed in other ways.

The report also found that alternative browser engines perform similarly to WebKit on security outcomes and that Apple’s current restriction prevents mobile browsers competing and innovating on security and privacy features, for example by implementing security updates more frequently than Apple’s architecture currently allows.

Another issue noted in the report is the inability for iOS apps to offer in-app browsing functionality – something that is possible on Android. Meta told the CMA that in-app browsing could improve user experience, security and performance. While it has developed this functionality on its Android app, Meta told the CMA that it cannot develop these features on iOS currently because Apple’s rules require apps to use Apple’s own technology – including its WebKit browser engine.”

Looking at Google’s product design choices, the CMA said Google had made it significantly harder for consumers to drive competition by actively choosing which browser they use.

“Google’s control of the Android operating system means it is able to determine key design decisions such as which products are placed prominently on a user’s screen and which apps are treated as the ‘default’ option. We have seen evidence that this is happening in relation to how browser options are presented when users first get their device, and again later, while they are using it. Google uses factory setting agreements with device manufacturers who use Google’s Android operating system,” the report stated.

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