Apple developing more conversational Siri powered by in-house AI models
Apple is said to be planning a major revamp of its digital assistant, Siri, to take on OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini. The new version, codenamed "LLM Siri," will be powered by Apple's own artificial intelligence (AI) models. The upgrade will enable more natural and conversational interactions with users, a Bloomberg report by Mark Gurman has said.
Enhanced capabilities and 3rd-party app interaction
The revamp comes as part of Apple's wider plan to integrate AI into its iPhones. The company intends to improve Siri's capability to handle more complex tasks and interact with third-party apps with an "expanded" App Intents feature. The updated assistant will also use Apple Intelligence for text summarization and composition tasks.
Apple's timeline for Siri's AI transformation
Apple could unveil its AI overhaul plans as early as next year, aiming to replace the current software by spring 2026. In a recent interview with WSJ, Craig Federighi, Apple's SVP of Software, hinted at how an AI-enhanced Siri will be different from ChatGPT. He stressed that while OpenAI's advanced voice mode is great for complex queries and creative tasks like poetry composition, it lacks practical functionality like opening garages or sending text messages—something that Siri is great at.
Apple's gradual AI integration and future plans
Apple has been slowly adding AI into its systems, most recently adding a ChatGPT feature into Siri with the iOS 18.2 beta update last month. The company also has a few other improvements planned for Siri, including the ability to "understand" on-screen content and perform actions within apps. These updates are expected to be rolled out next year, marking yet another step in Apple's long journey toward full-fledged AI integration.