Subj : I tried Apple's new AI-powered Invites app, but I'm not sure why To : All From : TechnologyDaily Date : Tue Mar 04 2025 12:15:08 I tried Apple's new AI-powered Invites app, but I'm not sure why anyone else would Date: Tue, 04 Mar 2025 12:00:00 +0000 Description: Apples invite app is a solid foundation, but is it really what we need right now? FULL STORY ====================================================================== Apple Intelligence is gaining more features with every beta release across iOS, macOS, and iPadOS, but the company surprised pretty much everyone at the start of February when it released the Apple Invites app . Less an extension of its various operating systems and more a siloed application, it leans on some Apple Intelligence features but mostly feels like a sort of central point for Apples own services. I tested it out since I needed to plan my sons sixth birthday party, and while I cant deny it has that Apple sheen to it, I find myself struggling to get all that excited about it. Diminishing Returns (Image credit: Apple/Lloyd Coombes) Apple Invites wasnt perhaps what we were expecting from the company, but just like the Sports app, its another app that can dovetail with multiple Apple services. Its essentially a fulcrum that can link to your calendar, photos, and even Apple Music to set the tone for your event. Thats great, but if youre not tied into any of those, youll see diminishing returns. Apple Invites is perfectly usable by anyone outside of the ecosystem to respond, but naturally you cant build the perfect playlist or drop in that ideal photo if youre not tied in with Apple. It makes sense, of course Apple isnt going to go out of its way to integrate Spotify, after all, but its worth noting before you start loading up your events. AI for the rest of us? (Image credit: Apple/Lloyd Coombes) My favourite thing about Apples new Invites app is just how easy it is to use. If youve ever used something like Google Meet or Outlook, youll know that trying to populate all the required fields the first time can feel a little awkward, leading to follow-up edits. Naturally, these arent necessarily made for a quick video call and are more for IRL events, but I appreciate that Apple has made it so easy to use nonetheless. As long as you have an iCloud+ subscription, you can add a title, event details, and some snazzy generative AI images (or your own), along with a playlist to capture the vibe, and pretty much get it sent out within a few minutes. Its a far cry from the e-vites of yesteryear, and while Apple Intelligences slogan of AI for the rest of us hasnt rung true for many, it feels like a smart move to integrate it into an app thatll be used to send glitzy invites to Apple users and non-Apple users alike. Outside of the Apple ecosystem? No problem (Image credit: Apple/Lloyd Coombes) While you need an iCloud+ account to send your invites, anyone can RSVP regardless of their device of choice. In my use case, thats particularly handy sending an invite to my mother-in-laws iPhone was easy enough, but my parents have Android phones. I appreciate not needing to adjust either way, too, just sending out a barrage of invites all in one go. If you are in the Apple ecosystem, Invites is merely a nifty bonus on top of Family Sharing, cloud-based storage, and features like Custom email domains. But who is it for? The question I kept coming back to while tooling around with the app was who is this for? and I dont think Ill be alone in that. It feels like a proof-of-concept rather than a must-have tool, and while I dont doubt some families will gravitate toward it in the way Genmoji has become more popular with some users, it just feels like a strange time to introduce an event invite service. Im also not sure what the future looks like for the app. Im not entirely sure what Id want Apple to add outside of additional integrations, but whats here feels so focused on a single purpose that it feels an oddity next to Apples increasingly malleable (and powerful) in-house apps. Look how Reminders and Notes have grown over the last few years and its hard to plot a similar trajectory for Apple Invites. Does it need one? Perhaps not, but the whole thing just feels like its in a weird spot when most people just text each other invitations to events anyway. You might also like Your new favorite teacher might be this AI educator that never loses their patience Meta plans to release a stand-alone AI app to compete with ChatGPT, as Sam Altman responds to the threat ChatGPT-4.5 is here for Pro users now and Plus users next week, and I can't wait to try it ====================================================================== Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/artificial-intelligence/i-tried-apples-new -ai-powered-invites-app-but-im-not-sure-why-anyone-else-would --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64) * Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100) .