Siri Assistant Reportedly Getting A Major Overhaul, Here’s What We Know

At the upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024, Apple may unveil its most significant update yet to its native virtual assistant Siri since its launch. Rumours suggest that the tech giant based in Cupertino will showcase its artificial intelligence (AI) strategy and introduce new features for its devices. A recent report indicates that the focal point of this update will be enhancing Siri’s intelligence and efficiency. Apple is anticipated to achieve this by leveraging either its own AI models or acquiring them from a third-party source.

According to insights from the New York Times, Apple’s top executives concluded last year that Siri requires a major overhaul to remain competitive. This realisation was prompted by the capabilities demonstrated by AI chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT in handling a wide range of tasks. Particularly, the ability to understand context in language, enabling users to pose vague queries and still receive accurate responses, was deemed a significant advancement. Sources familiar with the matter noted that Apple is actively working on integrating AI capabilities into Siri.

The report emphasised that enhancing Siri has become a major initiative at Apple’s Cupertino headquarters, akin to a “once-in-a-decade” endeavour for the company. The new Siri is expected to debut at the WWDC 2024 event scheduled for June 10. The report also mentioned two key areas of focus for Siri’s improvement: conversational language and expanded task versatility. However, Apple aims to ensure that Siri maintains its distinct identity and does not become just another AI-powered chatbot.

Apple WWDC 2024: What Upgrades To Expect

Instead of transforming Siri into a versatile chatbot capable of creating poetry and essays, it is believed that its capabilities will be refined and focused on its existing tasks, albeit with significant enhancements. For instance, users may be able to ask follow-up questions without needing to repeat all the information, a functionality that Siri currently lacks. Additionally, Siri might expand its range of tasks across devices, although specific details regarding these improvements remain unknown.

Apple reportedly plans to maintain Siri’s privacy by running it entirely on-device, relying on the on-device neural processing unit (NPU) for computing to minimise latency issues. This decision is noteworthy considering previous reports suggesting Apple’s development of AI chips for its data centres.

According to the NY Times report, Apple’s choice to avoid cloud servers is primarily driven by cost-effectiveness. For instance, OpenAI reportedly spends 12 cents (roughly Rs. 16) for every 1,000 words generated by ChatGPT due to cloud computing expenses. Apple’s strategy of keeping Siri’s features within the device could potentially bypass these costs.