Describe the Semantic Index

The Semantic Index is a powerful feature introduced by Apple to enhance search capabilities within apps. It allows for more intuitive and meaningful search results by understanding the context and semantics of the search terms rather than relying on exact matches. Here are some key points about the Semantic Index:

1. Core Spotlight Integration:

   • Core Spotlight now supports query understanding with Semantic Search, allowing users to search for content in their own way with terms that are similar in meaning (Support semantic search with Core Spotlight).
   • Semantic Search is enabled by default and can be configured to return ranked results using machine learning models (Support semantic search with Core Spotlight).

2. App Intents and Indexed Entities:

   • The new IndexedEntity protocol allows developers to index their app entities in Spotlight, making them searchable and actionable by Siri (What’s new in App Intents).
   • By associating app entities with searchable items, developers can leverage existing work on entities to help Siri find and take action on them (What’s new in App Intents).

3. Apple Intelligence:

   • Apple Intelligence uses the Semantic Index to organize personal information from across apps and understand the capabilities of apps to handle user requests (Platforms State of the Union).

4. Siri Integration:

   • Siri can now perform semantic searches, understanding the context of terms like "pets" to include related terms such as "cats" and "dogs" (Bring your app to Siri).

5. Searchable Items:

   • Developers can create CSSearchableItem with attributes that are processed in the Semantic Index, ensuring that text, images, and videos are searchable (Support semantic search with Core Spotlight).

For more detailed information, you can refer to the sessions:

• What’s new in App Intents
• Support semantic search with Core Spotlight
• Bring your app to Siri
• Platforms State of the Union