AI Features Are Reportedly Coming to Safari on iOS 18: Here’s What to Expect

Highlights

New AI-driven interface customizations in Safari 18.
“Web Eraser” tool for personalized content blocking.
AI-powered content summarization to enhance browsing.
Potential enhancements to Visual Look Up for product identification.

If the rumour mill is to be believed, Apple’s venerable Safari web browser is in for a hefty dose of artificial intelligence magic in the not-too-distant future.

According to recent leaks, the core iPhone and Mac browser is set to gain next-gen AI-powered smarts with the launch of Safari 18 later this year alongside iOS 18 and macOS 15.

Safari AI to Block Ads?

New AI-driven interface customizations in Safari 18

So just what kind of AI upgrades could be on the menu?

For starters, there’s talk of a revamped user interface that would make it easier to customize Safari’s core page controls and layout.

But we feel that the real intrigue seems to be centred around potential new content blocking and summarization tools.

Imagine being able to strip out annoying ads, images, text, or entire sections of a webpage with just a few taps, with Safari’s new “Web Eraser” remembering your preferences across browsing sessions..

Content Summarisation and Visual Lookup

AI-powered content summarization to enhance browsing

That’s not all.

Leaks also point to AI-powered content summarization that could automatically identify key topics and phrases on any given webpage, then generate concise summaries to save you from tedious skimming.

Convenient? Absolutely.

A potential privacy and ethical minefield? You bet.

Apple being Apple, you can be certain any AI integration will be baked with stringent privacy safeguards and the option to opt-out.

There’s also chatter the AI could enhance existing features like Visual Look Up to make it easier to identify consumer products from images.

Of course, until we get official word at Apple’s WWDC event in June, all of this is merely targeted speculation.

But one thing is clear – in its never-ending quest to make software more intelligent and user-friendly, AI is inevitably coming to Safari and likely many other core Apple apps and services soon.

FAQs

What AI features are expected in Safari 18?

Safari 18 is rumoured to include AI tools such as a “Web Eraser” for blocking unwanted content and an AI-driven content summarization feature to streamline information consumption.

How will AI summarization work in Safari?

The AI summarization in Safari is expected to automatically detect key topics on webpages and provide concise summaries, making it easier for users to grasp essential information quickly.

What is the ‘Web Eraser’ feature in Safari 18?

‘Web Eraser’ is anticipated to allow users to selectively block ads, images, or text, remembering these preferences across sessions to personalize the browsing experience.

Will there be improvements to Safari’s Visual Look Up?

Leaks suggest that AI could improve Visual Look Up in Safari, possibly enhancing its ability to identify products and other items from images more effectively.