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Apple’s big AI overhaul for Siri might take until 2027 to arrive

Apple’s progress with bringing AI to its hardware hasn’t exactly hit the same notes as the progress it has made with computing and wearable endeavors. As competitors such as Google and Microsoft have pushed ahead with deep integration of generative AI tools across their software stack, Siri has remained a laggard.

It seems Siri’s planned AI overhaul could extend well into 2027, as per Bloomberg. “People involved in Apple’s AI work say its foundational and large language models — the basis for its homegrown AI features — are reaching their limits,” says the report.

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That doesn’t bode well for the future of Siri, and it’s promised AI rebirth. The digital assistant currently runs into a dual-architecture format. The first one covers the legacy capabilities, while the other one is all about generative AI smarts, such as those offered by ChatGPT and Google Gemini.

Pulling up Siri on lock screen of iPhone.
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends

Apple is reportedly planning to integrate these two parts into a single cohesive unit with the arrival of iOS 19. Given Apple’s history, it will be showcased first at its developers conference at some point in June this year, and will reportedly arrive with the iOS 19.4 update in 2026’s Spring season.

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Apple is eyeing a ChatGPT-like search, but it must focus beyond Siri

That’s a long wait already, but the development work goes beyond that. At the moment, the company is internally working on an unreleased project called “LLM Siri” that will merge the two digital assistant architectures for Siri. However, that plan is reportedly running behind schedule.

“That’s why people within Apple’s AI division now believe that a true modernized, conversational version of Siri won’t reach consumers until iOS 20 at best in 2027,” says the report. The Bloomberg report mentions that iOS 19 won’t ship with any major enhancements to the Apple Intelligence stack.

ChatGPT and Siri integration on iPhone.
Siri is currently piggybacking on ChatGPT. Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends

So far, Siri has relied on ChatGPT to handle tasks that are usually deputed to a generative AI chatbot, such as Google Alexa or Microsoft Copilot, both of which have replaced legacy products such as Google Assistant and Cortana. However, there is a lot more ground to cover. Amazon has also moved ahead with a mighty impressive upgrade with the new Alexa+ assistant.

The situation with Siri feels more like a modern relic. Apple’s AI-powered news summaries are a mess. The summarized notifications are also a hit or miss. There is just not enough native “AI” in the Siri or Apple Intelligence bundle to stand out. On top of that, AI chip shortage, talent poaching, slow development, and ineffective leadership have only worsened the situation.

“Moreover, the AI industry is advancing so quickly that the team’s work is often obsolete by the time it’s ready to unveil, employees say,” adds the report. Apple has made some progress, too, inking deals with Chinese AI giants, Alibaba and Baidu, to speed things up.

Those plans, however, are more about pushing Apple Intelligence in China, than actually ramping up the overall development of Siri and the overarching AI ecosystem. It would be a monumental challenge for Apple in the coming years to not only get competitive, but also catch up with the rivals that are already far ahead.

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