Apple announced a major overhaul of Siri at its annual developer conference, introducing a redesigned voice assistant powered by generative artificial intelligence. The updated system, called "Siri AI," will integrate with Apple's broader artificial intelligence initiative known as Apple Intelligence and represents a significant shift in how the company approaches voice assistance.
The new Siri will operate differently from its predecessor, functioning more like AI chatbots such as ChatGPT or Google Gemini rather than a simple question-and-answer tool. Mike Rockwell, Apple's vice-president of Siri engineering, explained that the company rebuilt the tool with generative AI at its core. The assistant will feature its own dedicated app and offer a more conversational interface that can access Apple's native applications across mobile devices and laptops.
During a demonstration, Rockwell showed how the updated Siri can handle complex tasks. He asked it to identify a beach location from a photograph, then requested a friend's address nearby, and finally obtained directions to Santa Cruz with a stop at his friend's house, all within the Siri interface rather than jumping between multiple applications. The tool will also be able to proofread documents, assist with shopping, add calendar events, and retrieve information from images, such as nutritional data from photographs of food.
The partnership powering Siri AI's capabilities involves a billion-dollar agreement with Google. Siri's revamp relies on Google's Gemini AI model, marking a significant collaboration between the two technology companies. Initially, the new Siri will only be available in English, with a wider release scheduled for fall.
The overhaul comes after years of criticism that Apple's AI efforts lagged behind competitors like Google. Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice-president of software engineering, acknowledged the disparity during the conference, stating that some companies appear to be "racing forward, seemingly pursuing AI for the sake of AI, without clear regard for the people that it's ultimately meant to serve."
Apple has a history of delays with Siri updates. The company first announced an updated version in 2024 but postponed its release. Previous announcements about the assistant's capabilities also led to legal challenges. In May, Apple agreed to pay 250 million dollars to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging that the company falsely advertised Siri's artificial intelligence capabilities. Some consumers received settlements of up to 95 dollars.
Beyond Siri, Apple introduced additional AI features integrated into Safari, text messaging, and its Home app. The company also announced new camera and photo tools that use artificial intelligence to create, alter, or enhance images, all developed in collaboration with Google.