Apple is testing a version of its Safari web browser that includes UI tweaks, advanced content blocking features, and a new AI-powered tool dubbed Intelligent Search, AppleInsider has learned. The software — expected to debut as Safari 18 later in 2024 — is currently undergoing evaluation alongside internal builds of Apple’s next-generation operating system updates, namely iOS 18 and macOS 15, according to people familiar with the matter. Should all of the new features make it to the release candidate stage, users will be treated to a new user interface (UI) for customizing popular page controls, a “Web eraser” feature, and AI-driven content summarization tools. Engineers evaluating the latest builds of Safari 18 can find a toggle for the new page controls menu within the browser’s address bar. The menu consolidates — and provides quick access to — old and new page control tools, among them being the browsers new “Intelligent Search” feature. This feature is not automatically enabled in test builds of Safari 18 and instead requires manual activation from the page controls menu. Once enabled, it’s believed the tool leverages Apple’s on-device AI technology — specifically the Ajax language-learning model — to identify topics and key phrases within a webpage for which to base the summarization. In selecting key phrases, the Apple’s LLM software identifies sentences that provide explanations or describe the structure of objects, depending on the text in question. Words repeated within a text and key sentences are recognized as text topics. These early indications suggest Apple is striving to deliver text summarization alongside Safari 18 later this year, though the exact implementation of this feature remains fuzzy. Apple’s text summarization features could be a response to rival generative AI tools, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT. But Apple’s on-device models and technologies like Private Relay could make the experience much more secure for users. Intelligent Search is also likely to be the same AI browser assistant that one X user hinted at a couple of weeks back.
