Apple Delays Release of More Personalized, AI-Powered Siri
Apple made waves at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 25) with a range of updates to its operating systems, services, and software. Among the announcements was a new visual design called “Liquid Glass” and a revamped naming system. However, one highly anticipated product was conspicuously absent: an enhanced, AI-driven version of Siri, first teased at last year’s conference.
During the keynote address, Apple’s SVP of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, briefly touched on the delayed Siri update, stating, “As we’ve previously mentioned, we are working on enhancing Siri to make it more personalized. This endeavor required more time to meet our standards of quality, and we look forward to sharing more details in the upcoming year.”
The mention of a “coming year” suggests that Apple may not have any updates on Siri until 2026. This delay is significant in the fast-paced world of AI, where new advancements are continuously being rolled out.
The Promise of a Personalized Siri
Initially unveiled at WWDC 24, the upgraded Siri was set to introduce artificial intelligence enhancements to Apple’s virtual assistant, promising a deeper understanding of users’ individual contexts, such as relationships, routines, and communication patterns. Additionally, Siri was poised to offer increased functionality by enabling users to execute actions within and across various applications.
Reports from Bloomberg indicated that while an early version of the enhanced Siri was functional, it suffered from inconsistent performance, working correctly only two-thirds of the time. These quality issues rendered the feature unsuitable for release.
In March, Apple officially announced a delay in the launch of the Siri update, citing the need for additional time to refine the technology. The company also made changes to the leadership of the project, appointing Mike Rockwell to oversee the development, signaling a renewed focus on getting the project back on track.
Striving for Improvement
Recognizing the need to bolster its AI capabilities, Apple partnered with OpenAI to bridge the gap in Siri’s knowledge base. Unanswered queries directed to Siri now redirect users to ChatGPT for responses. Furthermore, Apple has integrated ChatGPT into its AI image generation tool, Image Playground, as part of the upcoming iOS 26 release.
At this year’s WWDC, Apple reiterated its commitment to AI advancements, promising developers access to foundational models, live translation features, enhancements to Genmoji and Image Playground, improved Visual Intelligence, an AI-powered “Workout Buddy” for Apple Watch users, AI integration in Xcode, and an updated version of its Shortcuts app powered by AI for scripting and automation.
Despite the setbacks in the development of the enhanced Siri, Apple remains dedicated to pushing the boundaries of AI technology and delivering innovative solutions to its users.