Pages, Keynote and Numbers get an AI 'Intelligent Assistant' in beta

Apple has updated Pages, Keynote and Numbers with a new AI feature called Intelligent Assistant, 9to5Mac reports. It appears to be separate from Siri AI and works inside each app, with an understanding of the document, presentation or spreadsheet you have open.

Who gets it

The assistant is for Apple Creator Studio subscribers only. It launches as a beta, in US English only, and requires iOS 27 or later. 9to5Mac notes it didn't see the assistant yet after updating, so Apple may switch it on server-side over the coming days.

What it does in each app

According to Apple's release notes, as summarised by 9to5Mac:

• Pages: start a first draft, then edit, organise and polish your writing; draft a section, change the tone, or generate images and shapes from a text description.
• Keynote: build your story, add animations and refine slides; generate slides, presenter notes, images and shapes in natural language.
• Numbers: find insights, build complex formulas and visualise data; generate tables, get chart suggestions and ask for help with formulas.

In all three apps, the assistant can also offer guidance on where to start and how to use advanced features, and it can search for up-to-date information on a topic and bring it into your file.

A new open format for Keynote, for everyone

The other change applies to all users, not just subscribers. Keynote can now import and export presentations in a new Interchange Format (.keyx), which Apple describes as an open file format meant to make Keynote files easier to edit in other apps. That could matter for anyone who swaps decks with PowerPoint or Google Slides users.

What we don't know yet

Apple hasn't said when the assistant will leave beta or come to other languages, so readers outside the US should expect to wait. If you're thinking about how much memory a Mac needs for AI features like this, our guide on how much RAM you need is a good starting point. And if you use AI tools in your writing, our ChatGPT privacy settings guide explains what to check before you paste in work documents.