Newly discovered code has revealed the existence of an interesting Apple Intelligence feature that’s likely coming to the Apple Music app in iOS 18: AI-generated playlist artwork.
The code was noted by 9to5Macand notes that when you create or edit a playlist, there will be a new “create image” button. Tapping this will bring up the previously announced Image Playground, Apple’s prompt-based image generator.
That’s the only detail we have right now, since none of the Apple Intelligence features are available to beta testers yet. But based on what we’ve seen from Image Playground so far, we can make some educated guesses about what the new feature will do.
What Apple Music’s AI Art Won’t Do
One thing we do know about the Image Playground is that it doesn’t allow you to create photorealistic images. And given the deep pockets and highly litigious nature of record labels, that’s unlikely to change. So don’t expect to be able to make a mashup of Nirvana Forget it cover featuring Chappell Roan’s most ferocious face.
Image Playground is designed to create “fun, playful images,” Apple says, and the lack of photography means we could end up with AI playlist art that harks back to and combines lush illustrations of the kind that used to grace LP covers: think Yoshimi fights the pink robots, The Velvet Underground and Nico, Governing in blood…
It’s unclear whether the feature will allow people to input whatever prompt they like into Image Playground to create the artwork, or whether it will generate something based on the songs – I’m strongly suspecting the former. The Ny Breaking team is already making plans around elaborate ELO-style space art for electro-pop playlists, and some sort of sketchy emo dog for indie playlists. I just dread the idea of every playlist thumbnail looking like Charli XCX’s Baby brother.
The new feature will hopefully be available in iOS 18 when it launches this fall (likely in September, alongside the iPhone 16), though it’s currently unclear whether Apple Intelligence will arrive at the same time as the rest of the update or not. Apple Intelligence features appear to only launch on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, as well as MacBooks and iPads with Apple Silicon chips, so that will likely apply to this feature as well. It’s also unclear when Apple Intelligence will launch outside the US, with European markets likely having to wait until 2025.