News in Short

• The company collaborated with Google and NVIDIA for parts of its latest AI infrastructure.
• Apple has introduced its third-generation Foundation Models called AFM 3.
• The new AI models will power a redesigned Siri and future Apple Intelligence features.
• Apple says user data remains protected through on-device processing and Private Cloud Compute.

Apple has unveiled its third-generation Foundation Models, a new family of artificial intelligence systems that will power the next wave of Apple Intelligence experiences. The announcement introduces major upgrades for Siri, image generation, voice interactions, dictation, and reasoning capabilities while keeping privacy at the center of the company’s AI strategy.

The new Apple Foundation Models, known as AFM 3, include both on-device and cloud-based AI systems. According to Apple, these models are deeply integrated into its operating systems and are designed to make everyday apps smarter, more useful, and more personalized without compromising user privacy.

What Did Apple Announce?

At the core of the announcement is a new family of five AI models. Apple says these models have been custom-built in collaboration with Google and span devices ranging from iPhones and Macs to cloud infrastructure running through Private Cloud Compute.

The lineup includes AFM 3 Core, AFM 3 Core Advanced, AFM 3 Cloud, ADM 3 Cloud for image generation, and AFM 3 Cloud Pro for more demanding reasoning tasks. Together, these models form the foundation of Apple Intelligence and the upcoming generation of Siri.

This announcement also signals Apple’s biggest AI infrastructure update since it entered the generative AI race. While competitors often focus on larger models and broader ecosystems, Apple continues to emphasize privacy, device integration, and efficiency.

How Is Apple’s New AI Different?

One of the biggest developments is AFM 3 Core Advanced, Apple’s most powerful on-device AI model so far. Unlike traditional large language models that keep all parameters active in memory, Apple’s new architecture selectively activates only the components needed for a specific task.

The model contains 20 billion parameters but activates only a small fraction during use. This allows Apple to deliver more powerful AI capabilities without overwhelming device memory or battery life.

As a result, users may see faster responses, more advanced voice interactions, and improved AI experiences directly on their devices.

Apple says this approach allows the model to scale beyond traditional memory limitations while maintaining performance and reducing latency.

What Does This Mean for Siri?

Perhaps the most important consumer-facing impact is the arrival of a new Siri experience.

Apple confirmed that its third-generation Foundation Models will power an entirely new version of Siri. The assistant is expected to become more conversational, context-aware, and capable of handling complex requests.

The upgraded models also support advanced reasoning and agent-like behaviors through AFM 3 Cloud Pro. These capabilities could allow Siri to perform more sophisticated actions across apps and services in future updates.

For users, that means interactions with Siri may feel less like issuing commands and more like having a natural conversation.

What New AI Features Are Coming?

Apple highlighted several areas where the new models will improve user experiences.

Image generation and editing receive a significant upgrade through ADM 3 Cloud. The model powers Image Playground, Genmoji creation, photo editing tools, and new personalization features. Apple claims it can generate photorealistic images across different lighting conditions and subject types.

Voice technology is also receiving attention. According to Apple’s internal evaluations, AFM 3 Core Advanced produced more natural and expressive speech compared to the company’s existing text-to-speech system.

Dictation performance improved as well. Apple reported gains in punctuation, formatting, meaning capture, and overall transcription quality when compared with previous systems.

These upgrades suggest Apple Intelligence will increasingly become a core part of everyday interactions across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and other Apple devices.

Why Is Apple Working With Google and NVIDIA?

The announcement revealed an interesting detail about Apple’s AI strategy.

Apple said it worked with Google and NVIDIA to extend Private Cloud Compute capabilities to NVIDIA GPUs hosted in Google Cloud while maintaining the same privacy protections offered by Apple’s infrastructure.

This collaboration highlights the growing complexity of AI development. Building advanced reasoning systems now requires a combination of specialized hardware, large-scale cloud infrastructure, and custom software architectures.

Even with these partnerships, Apple emphasized that user data is not stored or shared, including with Apple itself, when processed through Private Cloud Compute.

How Is Apple Addressing AI Privacy Concerns?

Privacy remains one of Apple’s strongest talking points.

The company says it does not use users’ private personal data or interactions to train its Foundation Models. Training data instead comes from publicly available information, licensed datasets, open-source resources, dedicated studies, and synthetic data.

Apple also reiterated that publishers can opt out of having their content used for model training. Additionally, the company says its AI systems undergo multilingual safety testing, alignment processes, and human reviews to reduce harmful outputs and bias.

What Comes Next?

Apple’s AFM 3 announcement provides the clearest view yet of the technology powering the future of Apple Intelligence. The company is betting that users want powerful AI tools without giving up privacy or handing more personal information to cloud providers.

The new Apple Foundation Models will support a redesigned Siri, smarter image tools, improved voice experiences, and more advanced reasoning capabilities. As Apple continues refining these systems during the beta period, the real test will be whether Apple Intelligence can deliver on its promise of useful AI that works seamlessly across devices while keeping privacy intact. For Apple, AFM 3 is not just another model release. It is the foundation for the company’s next chapter in artificial intelligence.