Apple Said to Be Developing Visual Intelligence Models for AI Pendant, Other Upcoming Wearables

Apple is developing new AirPods models with cameras, while also foraying into new AI-powered wearable categories, a report recently highlighted. The company is said to be working on an AI-enabled pendant that could be worn around the neck, which might feature a suite of sensors and cameras to answer user questions based on their surroundings. Now, Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman has shared more details about the AI models that will power these wearables. The Cupertino-based tech giant is reportedly working on its own visual models for the upcoming devices. First introduced with the iPhone 16 Pro series in 2024, Visual Intelligence is part of the Apple Intelligence suite of tools.

Apple's AI Pendant, Smart Glasses Could be Able to Take Context-Based Action

According to the latest edition of Gurman's Power On newsletter, the Cupertino-based tech giant is working on its AI visual models to enable the Visual Intelligence features on the rumoured AI pendant, AI smart glasses, and AirPods model with cameras. This will enable the wearables to provide environment-based answers to users and take context-based actions.

Gurman adds that Apple intends to make Visual Intelligence and visual models integral to its upcoming wearables. Coming to Apple's purported AI pendant, the device will reportedly be worn around the neck or body. It is said to be equipped with a suite of sensors and “computer vision cameras”, allowing it to answer what is on a user's plate and more.

Released with the iPhone 16 Pro lineup in 2024, Visual Intelligence currently leverages multimodal capabilities of OpenAI's ChatGPT to generate results. However, Apple's new visual models could change this. Additionally, Gurman claims that Apple has shelved the idea of launching the Apple Watch model with cameras.

This comes soon after Apple CEO Tim Cook, in an internal meeting, revealed that the tech giant plans to launch new AI-powered product categories and services. However, the launch timeline, names, and other details about these unspecified devices remain under wraps.

Recently, a report highlighted that Apple's purported AI smart glasses will add to the company's smartphones' functions. The new wearables are said to be thin and light, which Apple will reportedly achieve by offloading AI processing to the paired iPhone models.