Siri launched with the iPhone 4S in October 2011, replacing voice control with a more capable virtual assistant. A dozen years later, Siri has become the primary way we interact with our Apple products.
Wait, no, I'm told Siri sounds more natural, but the core technology is about the same. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence now means generative AI and chatbots are based on large language models.
Siri and the rest of iOS 18 will join the artificial intelligence revolution in June, ending our long national nightmare of Siri being somewhere between cool junk and occasionally useful. At least that's what is being reported, but we don't have a clear idea of what to expect yet.
Moderate AI Expectations
Get ready for a bold prediction: Apple AI will be better than Siri as we know it now, but iOS 18 won't live up to the AI hype. What does it mean? The bar for the best Siri is low; The bar for opening new horizons in the field of artificial intelligence is high and constantly growing.
I don't recommend anyone give it a try every time AI is mentioned at Apple's upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference. The human body can withstand a lot. But I'm skeptical that Siri will change enough to change its reputation as a frustrating system. Please prove me wrong, Apple.
Can I turn to Siri instead of the ChatGPT app to quickly find facts for my curious kids? Is Siri worth paying for even if it doesn't require a subscription? Will I use Siri on my Mac?
My hopes are very high. My expectations are conservative and measured.
Yes, it is possible to make Siri worse
Best comment from Think Different
Of course, it would be great if Apple gave us a real digital assistant. Let it answer the phone for us, answer calls from unknown numbers, send criminals into digital oblivion (and report them), relay important information when we can't answer calls, and so on. This single feature, if implemented correctly and made available before Google does, would significantly increase sales of all Apple products. However, something like this would require Apple to do something they haven't done in a very long time: take a risk and become a technology leader.
View all comments
There is also a risk involved in equipping Apple's voice assistant generative AI. Large language models are executed quickly, confidently, and are not always true to reality. Every AI chatbot seems to hit the ground running when faced with at least one nasty argument.
Apple appears to be working on its own in-house generative AI, backed by a combination of licensed technologies from Google. May be? On the one hand, cool! We need to get really good AI integrated into Apple's operating systems. On the other hand, what could go wrong?!
But I’ll tell you what. Generative AI continues to capture my attention in a way that other technologies introduced in the last 10 years have not. I'm shaking with excitement about what Apple AI could mean for the Mac and iPhone.
But I'm old enough to have had my heart broken a few times. However, I hope Siri's next chapter can be helpful! Siri, the people who program it, and the people who rely on it could use a break.
