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Apple Takes on AI Wearables With Always-Listening Watch Features
New Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra models use ambient listening to generate live transcripts and detect important audio cues.
What: Apple is adding 'Audio Intelligence' tools to the Watch Series 12 and Ultra that transcribe the last 15 seconds of conversation and detect sounds like sirens or crying babies without recording or storing raw audio. An updated Siri launches in beta via watchOS 27 on September 14.
Why it matters: Apple is prioritizing local, privacy-focused processing for AI wearables to differentiate from competitors who rely more heavily on cloud-based audio storage.
Decoder
- watchOS: Apple's proprietary operating system for the Apple Watch.
Original article
The Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra models have new Audio Intelligence tools that use ambient listening to take high-level notes of wearers' conversations throughout the day. The devices will also have a Live Recap function that can show a transcription of what was said in a live conversation in the last 15 seconds and be able to listen to important sounds, such as a crying baby, doorbells, or sirens. These features will not create or store recordings, and Apple will not be able to access the raw audio. They will be available to test in English later this year. The improved Siri is being rolled out on watchOS 27 in beta on September 14.
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