Apple Inc. plans to upgrade its Siri virtual assistant with more advanced artificial intelligence that will allow users to control certain features of the app with their voice, people with knowledge of the matter said. The new system will allow Siri to control all app functions for the first time, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the initiative is not public. The change required an update to Siri’s core software to use large language models — the core technology behind generative artificial intelligence — and, they say, will be one of the highlights of Apple’s new AI push.
The update is part of the company’s larger AI strategy, which will be unveiled at its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 10. Apple is preparing several features, including transcription of voice reminders and summaries, quick repeats of websites and notifications, automatic replies to messages, advanced photo editing and emojis created by artificial intelligence, according to Bloomberg.
As part of the deployment, basic AI tasks will be performed on the devices themselves, while advanced capabilities will be performed using cloud computing. The company also struck a deal with OpenAI to integrate the startup’s chatbot and other technology into the iOS operating system, and it is continuing talks with Google parent Alphabet Inc. regarding future use of its Gemini software. Apple software chief Craig Federighi told his teams to develop as many new AI features as possible for operating system updates this year.
Siri will be a keynote at WWDC. The new system will allow the assistant to more precisely control and control the iPhone or iPad. This includes the ability to open individual documents, move a note to another folder, send or delete an email, open a specific post in Apple News, email a web link, or even ask the device for an article summary.
An Apple representative in Cupertino, California, declined to comment.
Today, Siri is mostly limited to broader commands, like playing music playlists, searching for information, or controlling smart home appliances. The company also offers developers so-called app intents, which allow them to create ways in which Siri can use specific features. In 2018, Apple also launched Siri Shortcuts, which allows users to manually create commands for the app’s functions.
The new system will go further by using artificial intelligence to analyze what people are doing on their devices and automatically activate functions controlled by Siri. Initially, it will be limited to Apple’s own applications, and the company plans to support hundreds of different teams.
According to the people, the feature is one of Apple’s more complex AI initiatives and isn’t scheduled to roll out until next year, when it will be part of the next update, iOS 18. The first version of the new operating system will be released in September, around the same time as the following iPhone models.
At first, the new Siri will process one command at a time, but Apple plans to allow users to string commands together. For example, they can ask Siri to summarize a recorded meeting and then send it to a colleague in one request. Or the iPhone could theoretically be asked to crop an image and then email it to a friend.
A key component of the new push is a system that will use artificial intelligence to automatically determine whether a function should be performed on the device or through the cloud.
This has raised some questions about privacy. Although on-device tasks will not transmit personal information, the cloud approach will require some user data to be transferred to remote servers. The information will be protected by a so-called Secure Enclave in Apple’s high-end Mac chips that power the data centers, Bloomberg reported earlier this month.
Apple will try to further reassure customers that their data is confidential by creating an “intelligence report” that explains how the information is protected. The iPhone maker also won’t create customer profiles, a move criticized by Google and Meta Platforms Inc.
With the update to Siri, Apple is aiming to restore a groundbreaking product that has fallen behind competitors’ services. The company first launched Siri in 2011, giving it an edge in voice interfaces and AI. But Apple soon lost that advantage to Amazon.com Inc.’s Alexa and Google Assistant. Then he was caught flat-footed again when generative AI chatbots appeared two years ago.
Apple is also struggling with slowing sales, and its stock has underperformed peers this year. Shares are down about 1% in 2024, compared with a 10% gain in the Nasdaq 100 technology stock index. Apple shares rose 0.5% to $191.29 in New York on Thursday.
Apple is betting that new artificial intelligence features for the iPhone, iPad and Mac, as well as improvements to Siri, will drive users to upgrade their devices. iPhone 15 Pro or later is required for many of the device’s AI features to work. Macs and iPads, meanwhile, will need at least an M1 chip.
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(This story was not edited by NDTV staff and was automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
