Apple’s voice assistant Siri has fallen behind competitors like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa in recent years. Now, reports indicate Apple is facing significant challenges in its efforts to overhaul Siri and catch up in the AI assistant race.
Siri Overhaul Delayed Until 2027
According to recent reports from The Information, Apple’s ambitious plans to revamp Siri with more advanced AI capabilities have hit major roadblocks. The project, codenamed “Siri X,” was originally slated for release in 2024. However, sources familiar with Apple’s AI efforts now say the launch has been pushed back to 2027 - a delay of three years.
This setback comes as Apple attempts to modernize Siri’s underlying technology and expand its capabilities. The company aims to move Siri to a large language model (LLM) foundation similar to ChatGPT, which would allow for more natural conversations and complex task completion. But the transition has proven more difficult than anticipated.
Key challenges cited include:
- Integrating LLM technology with Siri’s existing knowledge base and features
- Maintaining privacy and running AI models on-device
- Optimizing performance and reducing latency
- Expanding language support beyond English
The delay puts Apple even further behind competitors in the AI assistant space. Both Google and Amazon have already integrated more advanced language models into their voice assistants.
Leadership Shakeup in Siri Team
Amid these development struggles, Apple has made significant changes to Siri’s leadership team. John Giannandrea, who previously oversaw Siri as Apple’s AI chief, has been removed from the project according to Bloomberg.
Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior VP of software engineering, will now lead Siri development efforts. This change appears aimed at accelerating progress and bringing fresh perspective to the struggling project.
Additionally, Apple has reportedly shifted hundreds of engineers to work on generative AI projects, signaling the company’s renewed focus on catching up in this critical technology area.
Siri’s Current Limitations
While Apple works on its next-generation assistant, the current version of Siri continues to frustrate many users with its limitations. Common complaints include:
- Difficulty understanding complex queries or context
- Inability to complete multi-step tasks
- Limited integration with third-party apps and services
- Frequent errors in voice recognition and natural language processing
These shortcomings have become more apparent as rival assistants from Google and Amazon have rapidly improved their capabilities. Siri’s struggles are particularly notable given Apple’s usual leadership in consumer technology.
The Importance of AI Assistants
Voice assistants and conversational AI have become increasingly central to tech companies’ strategies. They serve as a key interface for smart home control, mobile search, and emerging applications like in-car systems.
More critically, these AI platforms are seen as gateways to future revenue streams and user data. Companies that establish dominant AI assistants may gain significant advantages in areas like:
- E-commerce and product recommendations
- Targeted advertising
- Smart home ecosystem lock-in
- Data collection for improving AI models
Apple’s challenges with Siri risk putting the company at a disadvantage in these crucial future markets. The extended timeline for Siri’s overhaul means Apple will likely continue to lag behind for several more years.
Looking Ahead
Despite the setbacks, Apple remains committed to advancing Siri and its broader AI efforts. The company continues to make strategic acquisitions in the AI space and is reportedly working on its own large language models.
In the meantime, Apple is expected to roll out more incremental improvements to Siri. These may include expanded Shortcuts capabilities, better smart home controls, and improved language understanding.
However, a truly transformative update to bring Siri in line with or ahead of competitors now seems unlikely before 2027. Apple will need to execute flawlessly on its revised timeline to avoid falling even further behind in the AI assistant race.
The coming years will be critical for Apple to demonstrate it can innovate in AI at the same level it has in hardware and traditional software. The tech giant’s ability to modernize Siri may well determine its position in the next era of computing interfaces.