Apple Intelligence Takes Privacy Seriously With On-Device Features, Zero-Data ChatGPT

Apple Intelligence might be a new venture for the iPhone maker, but currently, it continues to impress fans with its features. The latest update revolves around addressing the privacy, which is perhaps the largest issue when using ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs).

Apple has been a proponent of protecting user privacy. It has now brought AI to the table differently, opting to maintain security while also bringing next-gen capabilities.

ChatGPT on Apple Devices: Privacy by Design

Apple Intelligence Takes Privacy Seriously With On-Device Features, Zero-Data ChatGPT

According to 9to5Mac, Apple teamed up with OpenAI to introduce ChatGPT functionality to Siri and system-wide writing features. But in contrast to standard ChatGPT use cases, the company provides a level of privacy that few other platforms can match.

First is the Zero data retention. Here, user requests sent via Apple devices are neither stored nor used to train OpenAI models. There's also explicit consent involved. This means that no request is forwarded to ChatGPT without explicit user authorization.

It's also noteworthy to remember business-grade APIs. Apple employs OpenAI's zero-retention APIs, which are not subject to legal mandates demanding extended data storage.

Apple Intelligence: Running AI Locally on Your Device

One of AI's best features is its on-device model processing. Unlike most AI tools that rely entirely on the cloud, Apple runs many AI features directly on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. This means your personal data never leaves your device.

To enable this, Apple has restricted the feature to only high-performance devices, including iPhone 15 Pro and later models, and all M1 and later Macs and iPads.

There's a hardware restriction because on-device models need a minimum of 8GB of unified memory and a robust chip to support the heavy processing work.

Things like Genmoji creation, Notification summaries, and language enrichments all happen locally — so your device is your AI hub, not Apple's servers.

Private Cloud Compute: Secure Server-Side AI

Not all requests can be processed on-device. That's where Apple's Private Cloud Compute (PCC) steps in, a setup that processes heavier AI workloads with strong data privacy protocols.

PCC differs from conventional cloud AI because it has no data storage, meaning your prompts and answers are safe. Also, Apple engineers or attackers are prevented from reaching your data.

Apart from that, Apple leans on auditable claims. The tech titan releases software images for PCC, enabling third-party security experts to audit the system and ensure its commitments.

As iOS 26 further develops Apple Intelligence, PCC plays an even more central role in managing sophisticated workflows, like multi-step Siri Shortcuts, without compromising trust.

Apple Intelligence is initially underwhelming for iPhone users, but with these improvements, Apple hopes that users will change their minds about AI.