When it comes to Apple's AI plans for Siri, it's better late than never.
The tech giant gave an update Monday at its annual developers' conference about the AI-powered capabilities coming to its built-in assistant, writes BI's Brent D. Griffiths.
You might be thinking to yourself, "Didn't Siri already get an AI makeover?" And you'd be sort of right. Apple initially teased these plans back in 2024, but it ran into development issues and delayed the release, a rare move for Apple.
In January, Apple teamed up with Google, meaning its Gemini model is powering the upgrades to Siri and the broader Apple Intelligence.
For more on the biggest takeaways from the event and the official rebrand to "Siri AI," click here.
So was it worth the wait? There will be a dedicated Siri app and deeper integration with the iPhone camera app, among other things. More broadly, the upgrade is about Siri understanding your personal context based on what you're doing on your screen and your personal data.
Early reactions from analysts, investors, and tech experts suggest Apple's success will hinge on a simple question: Can it finally deliver on what it promised?
Apple's Siri announcement lacked the pizzazz we're used to in the AI era.
Companies fighting for AI dominance are all about big, flashy announcements. Anthropic, OpenAI, and xAI seem locked in a constant race to one-up each other. Google, Microsoft, and Amazon are spending the equivalent of a small country's GDP on AI.
Meanwhile, Apple is touting AI-powered photo-editing features it initially announced two years ago. A bland announcement doesn't mean Apple is losing, though.
There's a good chance you're reading this very newsletter on one of their products. And that built-in audience arguably isn't going anywhere. God forbid you become the "green-bubble person" in your group chat.
Add in the fact that AI giants are burning cash on models that are all starting to sound the same, and you start to see the benefit of Apple's strategy.
Apple doesn't need the best AI. It needs the one that works most seamlessly with our lives.
It can't completely coast just because it's already in so many people's pockets. Safari might be Apple's built-in browser, but like a lot of people, I migrated over to Google Chrome years ago.
But when differences between products aren't massive, customers often stick with what's already close to home. And for Apple, that means staying firmly in your pocket.