India, June 30 -- Apple has quietly pushed out an emergency-style software update for the iPhone, and the reason behind it should make every user stop scrolling and check their settings: artificial intelligence is now fast enough to help hackers build attack tools faster than Apple can patch them.

A Surprise Release With an Unusual Justification

As Apple continues to test iOS 26.6 and iOS 27, the company surprised users by releasing iOS 26.5.2, iPadOS 26.5.2, and macOS Tahoe 26.5.2. Small as the update might sound, it carries a lengthy list of security fixes, including one important fix specifically aimed at combating AI-assisted hacks.

Apple was unusually direct about its motivation. The company told Reuters that given the ability of ...