How to make your phone work smarter using AI features

Apple announced several upcoming AI software features at its Worldwide Developers Conference in Cupertino this week, although some are similar to offerings from its competitors.

Here are five ways it will be possible to use AI on smartphones this year, depending on which one sits inside your pocket.

Screen phone calls:

Triggered when a phone call arrives from an unknown number, Apple's Call Screening feature will use an AI-powered voice to request a caller's name and reason for calling and pass them on to the recipient before the phone rings. The feature is similar to Google's Call Screen feature introduced to Pixel smartphones in Australia and could help to reduce spam calls.

Search for what you see:

Google introduced an AI-powered feature called Circle to Search for Samsung and Android smartphones last year, letting users select an image on their phone's screen to look for other references online. Apple will extend its Visual Intelligence AI feature to do this in its spring software update, offering an option to look up images with Google or in apps below screenshots.

Stay on hold:

Artificial intelligence can be used to detect on-hold music using Apple's upcoming Hold Assist feature, mute the soundtrack to save your ears and save your place in line. The feature will send users a notification when it detects a human answer the phone. Google offers a similar feature on its Pixel smartphones called Hold For Me.

Translate foreign languages:

Bridging the language barrier is becoming a task increasingly handed to AI software. Apple's Live Translation feature will work across FaceTime, messaging and phone apps, for example, and promises to convert spoken and written language in real time. Samsung also offers in-call help in its AI-powered Live Translate feature and Google recently announced speech translation in its Meet video app.

Guided workouts:

An AI voice created using input from Apple Fitness trainers will be used to motivate and guide users through exercise in a forthcoming feature called Workout Buddy. The upbeat narration will announce runners' split times or cyclists' work-out history while they exercise, although the feature requires the use of an Apple Watch, AI-compatible iPhone and Bluetooth headphones.

This AAP article was made possible by support from Apple.

Australian Associated Press