Apple's AI revamp for Siri faces delays due to bugs
What's the story
Apple's highly-anticipated revamp of its digital assistant, Siri, could be delayed due to engineering issues and software bugs.
The tech giant had first unveiled plans for an AI-enhanced Siri at its developers conference in June last year.
However, as per a report by Bloomberg, the company is still working on completing the software.
Delayed release
Possible postponement of Siri's new features
The sources also revealed that some features, originally slated for April release, could be pushed back to May or beyond.
The revamp of Siri is a major part of the Apple Intelligence platform, the company's effort to make a mark in AI and encourage iPhone upgrades.
Despite its importance, the rollout of Apple Intelligence has been criticized over glitches in some features like news summaries.
Independent initiatives
Siri's AI enhancements separate from Apple's China efforts
The latest developments with Siri have nothing to do with Apple's work to integrate AI capabilities into devices in China.
As part of this separate effort, Apple is working with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and Baidu to create a Chinese-compliant system.
A spokesperson for the Cupertino-based firm declined to comment on the Siri project when approached by Bloomberg.
Enhanced functionality
Apple's vision for a more versatile Siri
Apple's vision for the revamped Siri includes the ability to access a user's data to improve query responses and actions, a new system allowing the assistant to control apps more accurately, and the ability to view what's currently on a device's screen.
All these enhancements would ultimately provide users with a more personalized and efficient digital assistant experience.
Challenges
Apple's AI platform lags behind rivals
Despite its promotional efforts for Apple Intelligence, the firm is struggling with the fact that its AI platform lags behind competitors like OpenAI's ChatGPT, Alphabet's Google Gemini, and Meta's Llama.
This has resulted in struggles within the company's AI and machine-learning team to meet deadlines.
Some engineers believe that the system was launched prematurely to satisfy Wall Street's growing interest in AI technologies.