Apple is making big changes to improve its AI tools, and you’re a key part of the plan—if you’ve chosen to share your device data. The company revealed a new way it’s working to make its AI models smarter, especially after recent complaints about features like notification summaries not working well.
By using synthetic data and a privacy-first method known as differential privacy, Apple says it can study patterns in user behaviour without ever seeing your real information.
How Apple uses synthetic data to protect your privacy
You might wonder how Apple can use your data without looking at it. The answer lies in synthetic data. This data type is made up but looks and behaves like real user content. Apple starts by creating fake messages and emails on various topics. These are not copied from anyone—Apple generates them to look similar to real examples.
Then, Apple turns each message into something called an embedding. That’s just a way for the computer to understand key parts of the message—such as its topic, length, and the type of language used. These embeddings are then sent to a small group of users who have chosen to share their device analytics. Your device compares these synthetic messages with real emails on your phone. But don’t worry—Apple never sees your actual content.
Your phone does the hard work. It tells Apple which synthetic messages come closest to matching your actual emails or notifications. Apple can then use this feedback to improve the performance of its AI without ever needing to access what you’ve written.
What features will get better soon?
Right now, Apple is using this method to upgrade its Genmoji models, which are responsible for generating emojis based on prompts. But that’s only the beginning. Apple plans to expand this system to improve several other AI tools, including:
- Image Playground – A tool to generate fun images
- Image Wand – A feature that turns rough sketches into detailed art
- Memories Creation – An AI that turns your photos into emotional highlight reels
- Writing Tools and Visual Intelligence – Tools that help you write better and understand images more clearly
You’ll also see better email summaries soon, as Apple uses this same technique to train its models to understand your inbox better. If you’ve opted to share your analytics with Apple, your device will continue to help improve these features by testing synthetic data in the background.
What this means for your privacy
Apple is making an effort to improve AI without compromising privacy. Because the company uses fake—but realistic—data and never sees your actual messages, it believes this method strikes the right balance between smart features and strong privacy.
If you’re one of the users who opted to share analytics, your device quietly makes Apple’s AI smarter. And thanks to the synthetic data approach, your real emails, messages, and images stay precisely where they belong—on your device.
Apple’s move is a step forward in creating helpful AI tools that work well without needing full access to your private life. By letting your device think and using made-up data to guide improvements, Apple hopes to finally deliver smarter, more useful features that work how they’re meant to.
