Concerns are growing over the AI upgrades planned for Apple’s Siri, and it’s already starting to affect the lifecycle of the popular digital assistant. According to a recent announcement by the tech giant, as reported by Bloomberg, Siri’s next AI update is being delayed.
New Siri AI-powered features that aren’t coming soon
In June 2024, Apple’s development team introduced several AI-powered features for Siri that were meant to be included with the release of iOS 18.4 in April 2025; however, Bloomberg reported that people knowledgeable about the matter said those Siri features are delayed until at least May 2025 and the launch of iOS 18.5.
Amongst the AI features in question are personalized responses (a function that would give Siri access to the user’s personal information), task completion without the need to open the associated apps, and on-screen awareness that lets Siri analyze any information that is currently on the screen.
Despite the missing Siri features, iOS 18.4 could still include some new generative AI tools and upgrades. New styles are expected to be added to Image Playground; Apple Intelligence will begin prioritizing alerts and messages; and Apple’s Visual Intelligence – which uses AI to recognize and identify objects, text, or people with the iPhone’s camera – will likely be expanded to include the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
Why Siri AI upgrades might not be ready until 2026
Bloomberg also reported that, according to some developers and executives inside Apple, the previously announced features might not even be ready for the release of iOS 18.5. Several anonymous employees have expressed their concern about the new AI features, as many weren’t completely functional or didn’t function as advertised during early testing phases.
Developers are also worried these new AI features might be scrapped entirely. If this happens, the AI-powered features will need to be rebuilt and, as a result, likely won’t see the light of day until the next generation of the Siri platform becomes available sometime in 2026.
The developers won’t have to start over from scratch. Last year, Apple integrated large language models (LLMs) and ChatGPT into Siri and other Apple products.
Injecting more AI into Siri
Given the booming popularity of AI, it’s easy to see why Apple would want to upgrade Siri with the latest and greatest features. Although Apple’s digital assistant already uses some AI, including voice recognition, natural language processing, and machine learning, the company is clearly trying to inject more AI into Siri, Mac laptops, iPhones, and iPads that make up the Apple ecosystem.