Fazm vs Apple Intelligence
A voice-first AI agent that controls your entire desktop vs Apple's built-in intelligence layer. Two very different approaches to AI on macOS - here's how they compare.
Built-in AI vs real automation
Apple Intelligence adds AI features inside specific apps. Fazm is an agent that controls your entire desktop. They solve fundamentally different problems.
Apple Intelligence
Built-in, curated, limited scope
What it can do
- Summarize text, emails, and notifications
- Writing Tools - rewrite, proofread, adjust tone
- Generate images with Image Playground
- Siri answers questions with on-screen context
- Smart replies in Messages and Mail
- Priority notifications and focus summaries
What it cannot do
- Click buttons in apps without App Intents
- Execute multi-step workflows across apps
- Navigate complex UIs autonomously
- Automate tasks in unsupported third-party apps
- Control your mouse and keyboard freely
- Build custom automation from natural language
Fazm
Open, powerful, any app
What it can do
- Control any macOS app via accessibility API
- Execute complex multi-step workflows from voice
- Navigate any UI - clicks, types, scrolls, drags
- Research across apps and compose results
- Index local files and build knowledge graph
- Integrate with Google Workspace, VS Code, any app
One prompt. Any app. Done.
Describe what you want, Fazm figures out the steps and executes across your entire desktop.
Feature-by-feature comparison
How Fazm and Apple Intelligence stack up across every dimension.
Control any app, not just the ones Apple allows
Apple Intelligence only works through App Intents - predefined actions that developers choose to expose. If an app hasn't implemented intents, Siri can't touch it. Fazm uses the macOS accessibility API to control any application, any button, any input field.
- Controls any macOS app
- Clicks any button or UI element
- Types into any field
- No developer integration needed
- Limited to App Intents
- Only curated actions
- Developers must opt in
- Many apps unsupported
Voice that actually does things
Siri can answer questions, set reminders, and trigger simple app intents. Fazm's voice control executes complex multi-step workflows - research people on Twitter, draft personalized messages, navigate complex UIs - all from a single spoken command.
- Executes multi-step workflows
- Complex desktop automation
- One command, real results
- No follow-up questions needed
- Answers questions well
- Simple single-step actions
- Often needs clarification
- Limited to predefined intents
Real automation vs curated shortcuts
Apple's Shortcuts can tap into Apple Intelligence models, but you're still building predefined flows. Fazm is an agent - describe what you want in natural language and it figures out the steps, adapts to what's on screen, and handles the unexpected.
- Natural language to action
- Adapts to screen state
- Handles unexpected situations
- No pre-built flows needed
- Shortcuts require setup
- Predefined action chains
- Breaks on unexpected states
- Manual flow building
Both take privacy seriously - differently
Apple Intelligence processes most tasks on-device with Private Cloud Compute for heavier workloads. Fazm processes screen analysis locally before sending only the intent to AI models. Both prioritize privacy, but Fazm is open source so you can verify every claim.
- Local screen processing
- Only intent sent to AI
- Open source - fully auditable
- You control the AI model used
- On-device processing
- Private Cloud Compute
- Closed source
- Apple controls the stack
About each product
Apple Intelligence
by Apple
Apple's system-wide personal intelligence layer, built into iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. Launched October 2024 with writing tools, image generation, notification summaries, and an upgraded Siri. In 2026, Apple expanded app intents support so Siri can perform actions within and across supported apps. Features on-device processing and Private Cloud Compute for heavier tasks. Apple also partnered with Google to integrate a custom Gemini model for next-generation Siri capabilities. Free with Apple silicon hardware.
Fazm
Open source
An AI computer agent for macOS that goes beyond built-in intelligence. Controls your mouse, keyboard, browser DOM, and native apps - all triggered by voice. Indexes local files, builds a knowledge graph, and integrates with Google Workspace. Screen analysis runs locally for privacy. Unlike Apple Intelligence, Fazm is not limited to predefined intents - it can control any app, any element, any workflow. The entire project is open source.
App Intents vs accessibility API
Apple's approach requires developers to opt in. Fazm's approach works with any app out of the box. Two fundamentally different architectures.
Siri + App Intents
Developer opt-in required
- Developers must implement App Intents framework
- Only exposes actions the developer chooses
- Siri triggers predefined, curated actions
- Works great for supported apps (Messages, Mail, etc.)
- Third-party support growing but still limited
- Cannot interact with UI elements directly
Fazm
Works with any app instantly
- Uses macOS accessibility API - no developer opt-in
- Can interact with any UI element in any app
- Reads screen state and adapts actions in real time
- Works with every macOS application out of the box
- Complex multi-step workflows from natural language
- Screen analysis processed locally before hitting any API
Apple's App Intents approach is safe and curated - but it means Siri can only do what developers explicitly allow. Fazm sees your screen, understands the UI, and acts on any element in any app. Different philosophy, different capabilities.
When to use which
Choose Fazm if you...
- Need to automate complex multi-step workflows
- Work with apps that don't support App Intents
- Want voice commands that actually control your desktop
- Need an agent that adapts to what's on screen
- Prefer open source software you can inspect and modify
Stick with Apple Intelligence if you...
- Mainly need writing tools and text summaries
- Use Siri for quick questions and simple tasks
- Want image generation with Image Playground
- Prefer zero-setup AI that just works on your Mac
- Don't need cross-app desktop automation
The best setup? Use both. Apple Intelligence handles system-level AI features - summaries, writing tools, smart notifications. Fazm handles everything else - complex automation, cross-app workflows, and voice-controlled desktop actions.
Frequently asked questions
How is Fazm different from Apple Intelligence?
Apple Intelligence is built into macOS but limited to curated app intents - it can only perform actions that developers have explicitly exposed through the App Intents framework. Fazm controls any app on your Mac via the accessibility API, executing complex multi-step workflows across your entire desktop with voice commands. Think of Apple Intelligence as a smart assistant for pre-approved tasks, and Fazm as a general-purpose agent for your whole computer.
Can Siri do what Fazm does?
Siri has improved significantly with on-screen awareness and app intents support, but it still cannot click arbitrary buttons, navigate complex UIs, fill out forms across multiple apps, or execute multi-step desktop workflows autonomously. Fazm uses the macOS accessibility API to control any element in any app - no developer integration required. Siri is great for quick questions and simple tasks; Fazm is built for real automation.
Does Fazm work with Apple Intelligence?
Yes - they are complementary. Apple Intelligence handles system-level features like Writing Tools, notification summaries, image generation, and Siri improvements. Fazm adds powerful desktop-wide automation and voice-controlled workflows that go far beyond what Apple Intelligence offers. You can use both together for the best experience.
Is Apple Intelligence enough for desktop automation?
Apple Intelligence is not designed for desktop automation. It provides AI-powered features within specific apps (summaries, writing tools, image generation, smart replies) but cannot automate workflows across apps, click arbitrary UI elements, or execute complex multi-step tasks. Apple's Shortcuts can chain some actions together, but you need to build each flow manually. Fazm understands natural language instructions and figures out the steps automatically.
Go beyond built-in AI
Apple Intelligence is a great foundation. Fazm is the agent layer on top. Free and open source.