Siri, Apple's now iconic virtual voice assistant, originally launched as a stand-alone iPhone app in February 2010 and would've eventually have made its way to Android and BlackBerry, too, had Steve Jobs not personally pursued its $200+ million acquisition.
On October 4, 2011, Siri was introduced as a core iOS feature alongside the release of the iPhone 4S. Since then, Apple claim Siri has gone on to feature in everything from Apple TV to Apple Watch and is reportedly used across over 500 million devices worldwide. The rest, as they say, is history. Or is it?
There's more to Siri's story ahead, with the biggest shake up for Apple's virtual assistant potentially waiting for us during next week's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC).
A Siri-ous overhaul as AI arrives to iPhone
This week, Computex will be dominating the headlines as one of the world's biggest technology shows exhibits the latest and greatest tech from brands like Intel, AMD, Qualcomm and more.
However, next week sees Apple reclaim the spotlight with its annual WWDC. It's during this event's opening keynote that we expect the reveal of a new slate of operating systems, including iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS 15, as well as the potential debut of an all-new AI enhanced version of Apple's virtual assistant, Siri.
Much speculation surrounds Apple's plans to bring AI to iPhone, with Siri being a prime and obvious candidate for an overhaul in the age of chatbots like Copilot, ChatGPT, and Google Gemini.
Recent reports from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman indicate that Siri's AI makeover will arrive at some point in 2025, with the changes made to Apple's virtual assistant being large enough that they won't be ready in time to launch alongside iOS 18.
This delay would also give Apple more time to fully explore its options after having recently penned a deal with ChatGPT creators OpenAI over licensing its LLM (Large Language Model) technology. It also gives Apple an opportunity to seek out further partners to help power its AI ambitions, with a potential deal with Google also rumored to be on the table.
3 ways AI on iPhone will change Siri for the better
But when Siri's AI overhaul does arrive, what can we expect? While Apple remains tight-lipped about what's in store for its long-time virtual assistant, information is finding its way beyond the walls of Apple Park, Cupertino and we do have some ideas about what to expect. Here are some of the more interesting things we've heard so far.
1. A true AI companion
With Apple's recent partnership with OpenAI, we'd assume it's a safe bet to expect Siri to receive an LLM overhaul to bring it more in line with the kind of AI chatbots we're seeing today — especially if Apple plans to adopt the GPT-4o tech powering ChatGPT.
This means a more natural, conversational virtual assistant that can understand the context behind your queries and react appropriately. It also opens the doors to Siri being able to do far more than simply respond to voice commands, with Apple's assistant potentially being able to comment on what can be seen through the iPhone's camera or images on screen.
Siri's current offerings seem incredibly dated when compared to what other virtual assistants are capable of performing, so an upgrade to a true AI companion could have an incredible impact on this feature's effectiveness and attractiveness to users.
It also means Siri will be able to take on more complex tasks that the virtual assistant simply isn't capable of right now. Siri's AI overhaul could see it capable of penning emails on your behalf and sending them out automatically, performing preset actions at various times of the day, like turning on smart lighting or checking the day's traffic for you.
2. Photo editing
Another of Siri's rumored features involves its ability to help users automatically edit their photos and achieve the look and style they want, without the hassle of dealing with menus and sliders to get there.
The iPhone already uses AI and machine learning for taking photos with computational photography. This is the same technology that makes you look so good in those Portrait Mode shots by making use of filters, simulating lenses, and applying post-processing effects that maximize the impact of every shot you take.
However, as good as the end result is, there's no harm in adding a little extra flavor to your snaps after the fact. This is where Siri's new capabilities can come into play, potentially making use of generative AI to transform your photos into different styles, or by enhancing low-light images and reducing any blur.
3. Greater accessibility
While much of what the iPhone can do has evolved over time, how we operate one has remained much the same. That is until recently, anyway.
Last month Apple announced in a press release that it's bringing several new accessibility features to both iPhone and iPad — including the option to control your device through eye tracking.
This hands-free experience is something Siri is rumored to excel at, with the assistant's new capabilities allowing it to act as an AI agent of sorts, to precisely interact with apps through voice commands.
While this has impressive accessibility implications, it also means the average user will be able to operate their device hands-free too, allowing them to navigate through apps, issue commands, and even browse the web by voice and eyesight alone while their hands might be otherwise preoccupied with preparing a meal or even washing up.
Outlook
Apple's big push to bring AI to iPhone is exciting, but the transformation of Siri could have the greatest impact on those within the company's ecosystem. As AI becomes more adept at interacting with us through our most-used devices and understanding how to interact with those devices too, it opens up the doors to entirely new ways for us to interact with them both.
To get a more solid view of what to expect from Apple when it comes to AI, we'll need to wait for this year's WWDC to kick off on June 10. Until then, we'll be keeping our ear to the ground for more word on what to expect.
So, for news, rumors, and how-tos on everything Apple-related and all things tech, follow Laptop Mag on Twitter, Facebook, and Flipboard for the latest word as it arrives.
