Those hoping for an upgraded Siri infused with advanced artificial intelligence are not alone in their expectations. Apple has heavily promoted this vision since last year’s WWDC, showcasing a Siri that seems inspired by platforms like ChatGPT through various marketing initiatives.

Now, almost a year after WWDC 2024, the revamped Siri remains elusive. Speculation surrounds its timeline, but indications suggest that Apple likely won’t unveil AI-enhanced Siri at this week’s WWDC 2025.

Challenges within Apple’s AI Division

A recent article by Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reveals a tumultuous atmosphere within Apple’s AI division. While a full analysis of the article isn’t necessary here, a brief overview provides insight into the ongoing challenges impacting Siri’s evolution.

Initially, executive leaders at Apple, notably Craig Federighi, the Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, were skeptical about investing in AI, preferring to maintain focus on core software features. However, after engaging with ChatGPT post its late 2022 release, Federighi and others began to recognize AI’s potential, leading them to advocate for integrating numerous AI capabilities into iOS 18.

Despite having a foundation in AI prior to this renewed emphasis, including hiring Google’s AI lead John Giannandrea, Apple’s engineers struggled to match the sophistication and precision already established by competitors like OpenAI and Anthropic.

This deficit resulted in two significant issues: First, many AI features that were launched were inadequately developed. For instance, the notification summaries feature faced backlash for inaccuracies, including a notorious blunder that incorrectly summarized a news alert concerning a shooting. (Apple subsequently disabled this feature for news alerts.)

Second, due to the inadequacies of their in-house technology, Apple sought collaboration with an external AI provider, ultimately deciding on ChatGPT. This partnership is why OpenAI’s model is now integrated into iPhones.

Furthermore, Apple’s minimal focus on AI resulted in missing critical opportunities to secure GPUs, essential for training AI models. Their stringent privacy standards regarding user data also limited their access to vital training datasets. While some view this as a positive stance, it raises important considerations around companies with extensive data access.

The Situation with Siri

Even though some AI features have been successfully implemented, Siri has not benefited from this progress. To incorporate AI into Siri, Apple had to separate the assistant’s functions into two distinct systems: one for standard tasks like sending texts and setting alarms, and another focused on AI capabilities. While the latter can function independently, the complications arise when trying to merge these two systems, which has contributed to ongoing delays.

Instead of waiting for these challenges to be resolved, Apple prematurely showcased enhancements at WWDC 2024. Attendees witnessed rehearsed demonstrations of Siri managing complex inquiries and delivering relevant answers based on both user-specific insights and contextual information. A standout moment included an Apple employee querying Siri about their mother’s travel plans, demonstrating the assistant’s ability to sift through personal messages for details.

Promoting these features was so critical that Apple enlisted Bella Ramsey from The Last of Us to appear in a commercial: In this ad, Ramsey seeks assistance from Siri to recall an acquaintance’s name, with Siri promptly delivering the correct information without the need for specific details from her.

Although various AI features have rolled out with updates to iOS 18, the highly anticipated AI-enhanced Siri remains absent. Reports, primarily from Gurman, indicate ongoing technical hurdles causing delays, with each setback pushing back the expected launch further. Initial hopes for delivery with iOS 18.4 were dashed when even Federighi expressed shock at the beta’s lack of functionality.

Expectations for Siri at WWDC

The awaited AI improvement for Siri has now been pushed back “indefinitely.” Sources suggest that there will be no announcements regarding Siri’s next features at the upcoming iOS 19 (or iOS 26, depending on emerging rumors) during this week’s WWDC gathering. Although there’s a desire to launch AI-enhanced Siri alongside iOS 26, the situation is precarious — Siri reportedly fails to perform correctly roughly one-third of the time, and fixing major issues tends to lead to new ones cropping up.

Furthermore, a new team, led by Mike Rockwell after Giannandrea’s departure, is reportedly working on a fresh LLM-based version of Siri. Some sources claim that Apple’s internal chatbot is gaining ground in comparison to ChatGPT, which could facilitate future improvements by integrating with Siri.

While there may be cause for cautious optimism about Siri’s ultimate path, the challenges faced in recent months are undeniable. Excitement for Siri’s imminent updates should be tempered with realistic expectations in the near future.