In recent months, Apple has begun rolling out its Apple Intelligence AI software to eligible devices. However, one key enhancement—the upgraded version of Siri—has encountered several delays. A recent report from the Financial Times reveals the difficulties Apple faces as it strives to revamp Siri to better compete with advanced voice assistants from competitors like Google, OpenAI, and Perplexity, all of which incorporate AI capabilities.
Challenges in Revamping Siri Lead to Software Issues
According to anonymous sources who recently departed from Apple, the company has been hampered by technological difficulties in integrating large language models (LLMs) into its Siri assistant. These enhancements were intended to equip Siri with the ability to provide more conversational and timely responses. Apple has previously acknowledged that the updates promised last year have been postponed, with a new timeline pushing their anticipated arrival to next year.
The initiative to merge its proprietary LLMs with the current iteration of Siri—already utilizing some machine learning technology—has inadvertently led to software bugs, further complicating development timelines. Presently, users can instruct Siri to manage various system settings or utilize a built-in ChatGPT feature for online information retrieval.
In contrast, competitors developed their voice assistants from the ground up, avoiding the complications associated with existing software. This approach, seen with projects like ChatGPT, Gemini AI, and Perplexity, has resulted in fewer software bugs and a smoother rollout process.
Another factor contributing to the delays in Siri’s upgrade is Apple’s preference for “smaller” AI models and its commitment to maintaining user privacy by processing data locally on devices. This contrasts with its rivals, who deploy larger AI models and leverage cloud processing for swifter performance.
While the enhanced version of Siri has not yet been released—evidenced by the removal of related advertisements—Apple has introduced features such as Genmoji, Visual Intelligence, and Writing Tools to compatible devices, including the iPhone 15 Pro and the current iPhone 16 lineup.
Looking ahead, it appears that Apple will not unveil any significant updates regarding Siri and AI during this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) scheduled to start on Monday. The tech giant is reportedly focused on a comprehensive redesign of software for iOS and iPadOS, with some updates expected to extend to other operating systems like macOS.
