Importance Score: 35 / 100 🔵
Apple’s Enhanced Siri Features Anticipated Before 2025 Holidays
Reports suggest Apple is preparing to launch its significantly upgraded and customized Siri capabilities as early as the fall of 2025, potentially ahead of the holiday season. According to sources cited by The New York Times, this virtual assistant update will include functionalities demonstrated in iOS 18, such as the ability to edit and share photos upon user request.
Prospective Release Timeline
This timeline represents the most optimistic projection for the Siri upgrade to date. In March, an Apple spokesperson indicated that the company aimed to begin deploying the improved Siri features “in the coming year.” However, contrasting reports from industry analysts suggest a more protracted development process. One report indicated that Apple’s artificial intelligence division anticipates a “truly modernized, conversational version of Siri” may not be ready until 2027 at the earliest, citing ongoing development complexities.
Leadership Shifts and Project Challenges
Internal factors, including leadership transitions, are reportedly contributing to delays. The former head of Apple’s AI and Siri initiatives was replaced in March following reported concerns from CEO Tim Cook regarding his performance. Furthermore, disagreements between senior directors regarding project oversight have been documented. Reports indicate that some former employees within Apple’s AI and machine learning group characterized one senior director as lacking the necessary drive and innovative approach for the Siri overhaul. This led to internal engineers reportedly labeling the team “AIMLess,” reflecting perceived directionless progress.
Resource Allocation and Infrastructure Limitations
Earlier impediments to the project reportedly arose in 2023 when a request from CEO Cook to significantly increase the budget for AI chip development encountered resistance. The company’s finance chief purportedly reduced the proposed budget increase to less than half of the initial request, instead prioritizing improved efficiency for existing hardware, some of which was already several years old. Sources familiar with Cook’s proposal revealed that the reduced allocation resulted in a significantly smaller number of AI chips compared to the substantial investments being made by competitors in the artificial intelligence space, such as Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Meta.