There had been a lot of hype surrounding Apple iPhone press event earlier today, most of it focused on the probable hardware changes anticipated by the Apple. There have been a lot of questions and anticipations regarding the new look of iPhone5, the possible launch of iPhone 4S, the size of the screen, what all capabilities and etc.

However Apple has something else to surprise you with. Apple has decided to upgrade the smartness of your smart phone to a level of impeccable artificial intelligence with the introduction of the new Artificial Intelligence Assistant. Today’s event is slated to revolve around the software changes instead of the hardware especially the one which Apple will be launching today, the iPhone Assistant.

iPhone Assistant is believed to be a better successor of Siri. Siri is the iPhone App which enabled its users to conveniently and comfortably perform their daily tasks. The smart application responded to the queries in their natural language voice commands. It also offered various extra services then just answering the query, like while letting you find a restaurant near you, Siri offered to make the reservations as well, or could get you a cab when you need, give the movie listings with their ratings, and perform Google searches and a lot more. Above all it got accustomed to your actions and provided its recommendations accordingly.

Siri owes its potential to the technology developed out of SRI’s CALO project, the largest Artificial Intelligence project in U.S. history. It was the technology which born out of this project that made the artificial intelligence accessible to the entire world.

What Exactly is Assistant Capable of?

Assistant will be a replica of the human assistant one has. Its sole aim would be to make your work as easy and convenient as possible. Assistant will work on the Nuance’s advance voice recognition technology, to comprehend your voice commands and perform the required task.

Take for example, if you are out somewhere in a foreign location and you desperately wishes to have a nice Italian cuisine. Earlier you were required to take out the Yelp App, perform the search and go through the results. But with your Assistant in your hands, you can just say to your iPhone, “Find me an Italian restaurant within a mile of my location” and your task will be done. And needn’t find the taxi’s number even, Assistant will take care of that for you. Instead of you having to search through your Apps, Assistant will open up your app and tell the app what needs to be done. It is expected that sooner API’s will enable users to directly access their apps via Assistant.

Assistant will also be able to work on the lines of Google’s Android OS, easily transcribing your texts and performing web searches for you.

What is the Relevance of Artificial Intelligence for the iPhone?

Artificial intelligence will provide an almost human like substitute to the users. It is determined to change the entire relationship between a stationary device and the user. Apple revolutionized the touch screen industry with providing exceptional services and the introduction of the App Store was another significant step and with the introduction of the Assistant, Apple will change the way we interact with out phones; yet again!

In an interview on Monday, Siri co-founder Norman Winarsky didn’t shy away from vociferously confessing the same sentiments. He believed Assistant would not only change personal computing but also the entire world. “Make no mistake: Apple’s ‘mainstreaming’ Artificial Intelligence in the form of a Virtual Personal Assistant is a groundbreaking event,” Winarsky told 9to5mac. “I’d go so far as to say it is a world-changing event.”