Apple adds AI assistant built on its own and OpenAI models to Pages, Keynote and Numbers

An assistant woven into the iWork suite

Apple is adding an AI assistant to its productivity apps Keynote, Pages and Numbers, The Verge reports. The assistant draws on models from both Apple and OpenAI, and it is built to understand the context of whatever a user is working on rather than treating each prompt in isolation.

The capabilities differ by app. In Keynote, the assistant can take on tasks involved in designing, animating and refining slides. In Pages, it can draft new text, restructure existing writing and make targeted edits. In Numbers, it can calculate, visualise and organise data, suggest appropriate chart types and construct custom tables.

MCP opens the door to outside agents

Alongside its own assistant, Apple is adopting the Model Context Protocol. According to The Verge, Keynote, Pages and Numbers now support MCP on macOS 27 and later, which allows third-party AI agents to plug directly into the apps.

That detail may matter more than the assistant itself over time. If outside agents can read and act on documents inside Apple's first-party apps, the iWork suite becomes a platform that specialised AI tools can build on, rather than a closed environment where only Apple's chosen models operate.

Creative apps pick up AI features too

Apple is also spreading AI across its creative software. Pixelmator Pro is introducing a Generate Fill tool that lets users edit part of an image by describing the change they want; Apple says the result blends in by matching the light, angle and surface detail of the surrounding scene.

Logic Pro for Mac and iPad is receiving the Liquid Glass redesign along with an AI assistant that, according to Apple, can build a vocal track from a single prompt and make edits to existing projects. The Mac version also gains a redesigned Browser that uses on-device AI to analyse, classify and tag sounds as they are added.

Final Cut Pro is getting an update that brings templates, graphics, titles and transitions into the app through MotionVFX, plus a built-in Content Hub offering a library of stock footage, photos and backgrounds. The Verge reports that these Creator's Studio updates will be available to existing subscribers at no extra cost in November.

Availability

The iWork assistant is rolling out now in beta to devices compatible with Apple Intelligence, and requires iOS 27, iPadOS 27 or macOS 27 or later. MCP support in the three apps applies to macOS 27 and later, per The Verge.

Why it matters

Apple is placing generative AI directly inside apps that many people already use for everyday work, rather than confining it to a standalone chatbot. The dual-model approach, combining Apple's own systems with OpenAI's, signals how the company intends to compete: curating whichever model suits the task instead of relying purely on in-house technology.

The MCP support is arguably the most consequential piece of the announcement. By adopting an open protocol for agent connectivity, Apple is effectively inviting the wider AI ecosystem into its productivity apps, a shift that could turn document work into fertile ground for third-party automation. For anyone building AI agents, Apple's endorsement is a significant vote of confidence in MCP as shared infrastructure for that market.