Siri reborn
After a period of inactivity in the artificial intelligence race, Apple unveiled its plan to regain its position at WWDC yesterday. The company reintroduced an enhanced version of its digital assistant Siri and introduced features to its A.I. system, Apple Intelligence.
During a 75-minute presentation, Apple announced that Siri would no longer be a voice assistant with limited capabilities. Later this year, the company will introduce Siri AI, a more capable and conversational digital assistant that resembles chatbots such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT. A recorded demonstration showcased the new assistant’s ability to handle tasks like researching concert tickets and brainstorming party recipes.
Apple’s announcements followed delays and quality issues that plagued its initial attempt to integrate A.I. into its devices and upgrade Siri. The company ultimately postponed the release of the new technology until it could be improved.
Apple stated that users would be able to use the new digital assistant across their phones, laptops and other devices; in the search bars of their devices; and in a new app for Siri. The company argued that its methodical approach to A.I. was distinct from that of other technology companies.
“Some appear to be racing forward, seemingly pursuing A.I. for the sake of A.I., without clear regard for the people — all of us — that it is ultimately meant to serve,” Craig Federighi, Apple’s head of software engineering, said during the presentation.
This year’s event marked the last with Tim Cook as Apple’s chief executive. He plans to step down this year and be succeeded by John Ternus, the company’s head of hardware engineering.
“I am deeply grateful to have been on this journey with you,” Mr Cook said.
Unlike its technology industry peers, Apple has not overhauled itself around artificial intelligence. While other major companies are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in developing their own AI and building data centres, Apple is using AI models and cloud computing services from Google to power Siri and Apple Intelligence.
On Monday, Apple emphasised that it had developed its AI with privacy in mind. The company stated that much of the computer processing required to answer questions would occur on iPhones and other devices themselves rather than in data centres where personal information is more vulnerable to compromise. More complex requests will be handled in a cloud computing network that the company claims is more private as the data is protected from outsiders including Apple.
Apple will integrate Siri and Apple Intelligence across its apps. For example, in the Camera app users will be able to ask Siri questions about what they are photographing. The company also demonstrated AI features such as monitoring web pages for updates in Safari, altering a photo by removing distractions from the background and splitting a restaurant bill in the Wallet app.
Apple will impose daily limits on the frequency of use for a feature that generates images using AI, as it requires significant computing power. Users can increase their usage by paying for a subscription to Apple’s cloud computing system iCloud.
Apple also plans to update the operating systems for its devices this fall. Users will be able to open apps more quickly and search content more comprehensively on their devices. The company will also refine the software design introduced last year, which had a transparent aesthetic called ‘liquid glass’ and was unpopular with some users. The new MAC OS will be called Golden Gate.
Apple announced a series of child safety features for its devices this autumn. Parents will be able to control their children’s access to apps and websites, whom they can communicate with and when they can use certain apps. The company will also begin warning children if they receive or attempt to send content containing gore or violence, a feature it already provides for content with nudity.
The new Siri is available to developers immediately and will enter public beta later this year. Initial availability will be limited to English with support for additional languages planned. Regulatory constraints will delay its launch on iPhone and iPad in the European Union and prevent it from being released in China. Some of the most advanced on-device AI capabilities will require Apple’s latest hardware including the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, M4-equipped iPads and M3 Macs with at least 12GB of memory.
Key takeaways:
* Siri AI – significant improvement
* AI across Safari, Mail and productivity apps
* macOS Golden Gate / Spotlight improvements
* AI photo editing
* Performance improvements
* Screen Time changes
* Visual refinements
The key takeaway is that WWDC 2026 was not primarily about iOS 27. It was Apple acknowledging that AI assistants are becoming the next operating system layer.
