Hustler Words – Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 25) showcased a flurry of software and system upgrades, including the intriguing "Liquid Glass" aesthetic and a revamped naming scheme. However, a highly anticipated feature remained conspicuously absent: the AI-powered, personalized Siri update first promised at WWDC 24.
Craig Federighi, Apple’s SVP of Software Engineering, offered only a fleeting mention, stating that the project requires more time to meet Apple’s quality standards, pushing a release to sometime in 2026. This delay is striking in the rapidly evolving AI landscape, where competitors are releasing updates at a breakneck pace.
Initially touted as a "next big step" for Apple, the revamped Siri was designed to leverage AI to understand user context—relationships, communication patterns, routines, and more—and seamlessly integrate with various apps. While Bloomberg reported that an internal version was functional, its inconsistent performance (reportedly achieving success only two-thirds of the time) rendered it unsuitable for release.
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Apple officially delayed the launch in March, citing unforeseen development challenges. The company also made a significant leadership change, replacing John Giannandrea, SVP of Machine Learning and AI Strategy, with Mike Rockwell, previously involved in the Vision Pro project. This reshuffle suggests a course correction after setbacks and potentially reveals Apple’s AI technology lagging behind rivals like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic—a concern for investors.
To bridge the gap, Apple partnered with OpenAI, directing Siri’s unanswered queries to ChatGPT. This integration extends to iOS 26, with updates to the AI image generation app, Image Playground, also leveraging ChatGPT’s capabilities. At WWDC 25, Apple continued its AI-focused announcements, including developer access to on-device foundation models, live translation enhancements, Genmoji upgrades, Visual Intelligence improvements, an AI "Workout Buddy" for Apple Watch, AI integration in Xcode, and an AI-powered Shortcuts app update. Despite these advancements, the absence of the promised Siri upgrade casts a shadow on Apple’s AI ambitions.
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