Siri Failures Remain Unaddressed, WWDC 2025 Likely to Overlook Significant Issues
The upcoming Apple developer conference, WWDC, is shaping up to be a significant one, with iOS not being the only star of the show. Though we've heard whispers about the redesign of iOS 19-er-iOS 26 and the arrival of WhatsApp on iPadOS, there's another topic brewing that's bound to steal the spotlight – the lackluster AI Siri. Apple's AI intelligence has been facing some hurdles since its launch in October 2024, and the most evident stumble has been the delayed release of the LLM-powered Siri voice assistant.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported in March that Apple has postponed the Siri upgrade indefinitely after attempting to perfect it without success. According to insiders, this project, which was expected to arrive with iOS 18.5, has been hindered by a rash of bugs and won't be released until at least next year. The struggle here might indicate broader issues with Apple's next-generation AI development, a concern considering the current AI-centric landscape in tech.
Now, it's important to note that people generally aren't clamoring for their phones or tablets to be AI-feature-rich. A recent poll by CNET revealed that the majority of iPhone and Samsung users feel that AI adds little to no value to their overall phone experience. Despite this, the situation isn't a complete write-off for Apple. While the company works out its AI course correction, competitors like Samsung and Google are pushing ahead with AI features, many of which are modest at present but could become significant in the near future.
The pressure is more optics-focused at this point, and it's likely that Apple will place emphasis on its rumored flashy iOS redesign to divert attention from its AI missteps. Meanwhile, we can expect to see updates on visionOS, the operating system for the sidelined Vision Pro headset, and possibly a gaming hub to unify Apple gaming across platforms. The developer conference may provide the perfect opportunity for Apple to confront its Siri-shaped elephant in the room and make a groundbreaking announcement or two. Only time will tell.
Here's a quick recap on Apple's ongoing AI challenges:
- Delayed Release: Apple's LLM-powered Siri voice assistant has been postponed indefinitely due to technical obstacles and bugs.
- Technical Struggles: The project to update Siri's architecture to an LLM base is not meeting internal reliability standards, with features reportedly failing about a third of the time.
- Leadership Changes: The position of Siri's leadership has also seen a change this spring, with Mike Rockwell taking over from Giannandrea.
- In light of the delayed release of the LLM-powered Siri voice assistant, Apple might use its iOS redesign as a distraction from its AI challenges during the upcoming WWDC.
- The gaming hub, a potential unification of Apple gaming across platforms, could be one of the announcements made during the WWDC to counterbalance the lack of progress in developing the new Siri AI.
- As technology advances and AI becomes a more significant focus in the tech industry, other competitors like Samsung and Google push ahead with AI features, while Apple's AI endeavors, exemplified by the delayed Siri upgrade, seem to fall short in terms of efficiency and perceived value for end-users.
