Apple Seeks AI Restart With New Features

“Apple showed off a new version of its Siri chatbot on Monday, technology developed with Google that the iPhone maker hopes will help power a comeback in artificial intelligence.

 

The Siri AI digital assistant will draw on user data and messages to help answer more-complicated questions and complete tasks.

 

Executives showed Siri buying concert tickets, creating event plans and breaking down the nutritional details in a plate of food. Siri will also be more present when writing, with generative writing capabilities, automatic proofreading and the ability to reflect a user's natural writing voice.

 

Investors had a muted response to the highly anticipated updates at the company's annual developer conference, with Apple shares falling by about 2% after the presentation concluded. Apple's presentation showed an AI assistant rooted in capabilities that are familiar to users of OpenAI's ChatGPT or Anthropic's Claude, underscoring the company's effort to match what exists in the market rather than try to exceed it.

 

One significant difference is that the new Siri will have access to personal user data, allowing it to be far more powerful as an assistant than competing chatbots.

 

"Apple is trying to make AI feel native, useful and invisible across the devices people already use every day," said Francisco Jeronimo, a vice president at research firm IDC.

 

"The winning AI experience for consumers will not be the loudest or most technically complex. It will be the one that understands context, respects privacy, works reliably across apps and reduces friction without forcing users to change behavior."

 

Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook kicked off the event at the company's Cupertino, Calif., headquarters and received an extended standing ovation from the crowd when he noted it would be his 15th, and last, appearance at the annual event. John Ternus, Apple's hardware boss, is set to take over for Cook on Sept. 1 while the longtime Apple leader will remain as chairman.

 

In a separate session for media, Apple software executives assuaged privacy concerns about its collaboration with Alphabet's Google, saying user data isn't shared outside Apple's private cloud-computing servers inside Google. Executives emphasized throughout the keynote speech how user data with Siri AI won't be accessible to anyone, even Apple.

 

Apple also plans to create child accounts and more-robust parental controls. Executives also unveiled updates to a myriad of applications, such as Safari, Shortcuts, and Health, as well as adjustments to its "Liquid Glass" design. The name of the latest Mac operating system update will be "Golden Gate."

 

But the main event was Siri, which will have a new appearance -- and voice. A Siri bubble will appear at the top of screens, and users can adjust the assistant's expressivity and pace. Its capabilities will be synchronized across devices and interactions will be documented in a new app. A number of demos showed users interacting with Siri by typing and voice.

 

The availability of new features will be limited by cost, geography and device.

 

Apple software boss Craig Federighi said that features such as image generation that use more powerful server models will have daily usage limits, though people can buy increased access with an iCloud+ subscription.

 

Siri AI won't be available initially in the EU on iPhones and iPads, and in China, the new AI features won't be available while Apple works on regulatory requirements.

 

Some of the more advanced features will only be available on iPhones, iPads and Macs with the most advanced chips.

 

Apple will release the software to developers in a beta, with a public beta next month and a full launch to customers in the fall.” [1]

 

1. Apple Seeks AI Restart With New Features. Winkler, Rolfe; Li, Tina.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 09 June 2026: B1.