Safari could get major new AI features, ability to erase parts of websites

Apple reportedly has some big, artificial intelligence-powered features coming to the next version of Safari, including the ability to summarize webpages or erase content like ads.

The details come from AppleInsider based on early builds of Safari 18, expected to launch later this year with iOS 18 and macOS 15.

AppleInsider reports that Safari 18 builds include a toggle for a new page controls menu that includes some of the new features Apple is working on.

For example, there’s an ‘Intelligent Search’ capability that requires manual activation. Once on, the tool apparently uses on-device AI technology — AppleInsider said it’s Apple’s Ajax large language model (LLM) — to identify topics and key phrases within a webpage for summarization. It can also identify explanations and highlight repeated words as topics.

Another feature detailed in AppleInsider‘s report is ‘Web Eraser,’ which allows users to highlight parts of webpages and remove them. Removable items include banner ads, images, text or even entire sections of web pages.

Moreover, Safari reportedly remembers the changes and will erase those same elements when users return to the site, even after closing the original tab or window. When visiting a modified webpage, Safari reportedly will remind users that they erased portions of the page and offer an option to revert the changes, returning the site to its original state.

Regarding the above-mentioned page controls menu, AppleInsider notes that it’s in the address bar in a central location. This change applies to the iPadOS and macOS versions of Safari, suggesting a possible unification between the two browsers.

Finally, AppleInsider reports that Apple is working on a more powerful visual search feature that could be integrated in 2025. It’s apparently similar to Visual Lookup but available through Siri. It’s capable of identifying plants, pets and landmarks from photos.

Source: AppleInsider