Apple expands Image Playground: Artificial Intelligence gains momentum

Apple presented its app Image Playground, which received mixed reviews last year, with exciting new features at the recent WWDC developer conference. Originally, the app offered the ability to create personalized images with the help of Apple Intelligence—however, not without criticism regarding the quality and diversity of the results. Users reported odd creations like a hand with six fingers or difficulties in generating simple motifs like 'old man' or 'flower'. Compared to other AI image generators, the application sometimes appeared somewhat playful. This year, Apple is taking the Image Playground experience to a new level. By integrating ChatGPT, the app is expanded to include numerous styles, such as oil painting, watercolor, vector, anime, and print. Additionally, there is a flexible 'Any Style' option that users can describe themselves. This is a marked improvement over the previous animation, illustration, sketch, and Genmoji styles. The strategic use of ChatGPT for image creation aligns with Apple's proven strategy of integrating OpenAI technologies into its services. Previous announcements regarding implementation in Siri and other Apple apps indicate the direction in which the technology giant is moving. The updated Image Playground is expected to coincide with the release of the new iOS 26 in the fall. Apple confidently states that no user data will be shared with ChatGPT without explicit consent.