At its June Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple showcased its upcoming artificial intelligence (AI) system, Apple Intelligence. This system is expected to improve the capabilities of the Siri voice assistant and introduce new capabilities like automated email and images, advanced writing assistants, Genmoji, and more.

Some Apple Intelligence features may require a subscription of up to $20 per month

Apple Intelligence, expected to arrive in October, will initially be free, but many analysts are already speculating that the AI software may later charge a subscription fee of up to $20 per month for access to premium AI features.

According to a CNBC report based on information provided by an analyst, Apple’s decision to charge for some of its advanced Apple Intelligence AI features is driven by the significant investment required to develop AI technology. The company would want to pass that cost onto its users by introducing a subscription model.

Apple currently charges its customers a monthly subscription fee of $19.95 for Apple One, which has six premium subscriptions, including Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, iCloud+, and more. Family and Premier subscription plans are also available.

In the future, Apple could charge $10 to $20 for access to more advanced AI features or even add them to Apple One for a higher price to recoup costs while generating additional revenue.

“Software and services make it more lucrative for Apple to pass it on with the Apple One subscription model,” Neil Shah, partner at Counterpoint Research, told CNBC in a recent interview.

“Apple is one of the few connected devices companies that has successfully monetized the value-added services it offers,” Ben Wood, Chief of Research at CCS Insight, told CNBC.

“[It] has set a precedent with its users that they have to pay for more premium services. On this basis, it can’t be ruled out that Apple may choose to charge for more advanced features within its Apple Intelligence offering.”

This implies that while some of the Apple Intelligence features may be free, other premium features will have to be paid for.

Charging for AI-powered features is not unusual. For instance, OpenAI charges $20 per month for ChatGPT Plus, and Microsoft charges $20 per month for its AI Copilot tool. Even Google Pixel 9 Pro buyers must buy an AI subscription for $240 annually after a free trial period.

Samsung, Apple’s main competitor, has already begun rolling out its own AI services, known as Galaxy AI. These services are available for free until the end of 2025, but Samsung has officially confirmed that it will charge fees for the premium service from 2026.