Apple has released iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2, which means local language access to Apple Intelligence is now available to iPhone, Mac, and iPad users in the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand. (Theyve had to set their language to US English to use these features until now; users will need to update their software first, as it rolls out.)Its a critical release that puts direct, local language access to Apple Intelligence into the hands of tens of millions of new users. The release also introduces several additional tools to the Apple Intelligence arsenal, including new Writing Tools and integrated access to ChatGPT for some tasks. Though you arent obliged to use ChatGPT.Back in the UKThe UK introduction is particularly interesting, coinciding as it does with a visit there byApple CEO Tim Cook. During his visit, he discussed Apples ever-growing investments in the UK and confirmed company engineers are deeply involved in building components of those AI features, from silicon development to the companys important work on Private Cloud Compute. It seems appropriate given his appearance in the UK to introduce Apple Intelligence at around the same time. Though I suspect if Steve Jobs had made the same journey, Apple might have run a Meet Apple Intelligence event to generate some media attention. Whats coming in Apple Intelligence?We discussed the new Apple Intelligence features youll find in the latest updatesalready. To summarize, these include:Improved Siri, with better natural language understanding and the capacity to handle more complex queries.Better contextual awareness for better results.Visual Intelligence point your camera at your surroundings to learn more about them.Imaging tools, including custom AI-generated emoji and automated image creation.Apple promises additional capabilities soon. These will include on-screen contextual awareness, AI support across third-party apps, Priority Notifications to help you stay on top of the most important tasks/messages, and more.As it seeks to convince its customers to place their trust in its artificial intelligence, Apple remains firmly focused on privacy. It continues to repeat the message that because many of its tools work on the device, using them brings all the convenience of generative AI (genAI), but not at the cost of data leak or privacy erosion. The company also wants people to understand those tasks it cannot handle are outsourced to third-party tools that may be less private and secure, though their use is optional.Why does privacy matter?So, why does Apples privacy message matter? Surely the convenience of AI outweighs any impact on privacy.In fact, its quite the reverse. Stop to consider the extent to which your iPhone already accumulates a plethora of deeply personal data reflecting your life, health, habits, and occupations; put that through a filter of non-private AI and you might get some sense of why privacy and trust will become even more important in the months and years ahead.Take health, for example if Apple really does plan to introduce AI-driven health data biometric systems in future satellite-connected Apple Watch devices, you really, really wont want that information shared with anyone but your healthcare advisor and (possibly, but not always) your closest family members.You certainly wont want that data shared with even the fluffiest of Big Tech companies; and you wont want every ad you see online to be dedicated to flogging you kit connected with your condition or weird Facebook followers appearing to bombard you with fake facts and potentially life-threatening snake oil treatments.That, and a warrant-free evolution of privatized surveillance and hacker-tempting data banks, is, of course, one of the potential futures for AI implementation in the world right now. With that in mind, Apples underlying message around privacy and security matters a great deal.About youAll the same, for today at least, those concerns seem a little further down the line. After all, it is not yet the case that other people will be able to find out everything the online world knows about you by simply pointing their phone in your direction (though dont be too surprised if that eventually becomes a law enforcement tool).But you can now do this for your local surroundings using Visual Intelligence on your iPhone.You can follow me on social media! Join me onBlueSky, LinkedIn,Mastodon, andMeWe.