Apple plans a major AI overhaul for Siri in iOS 18, allowing the assistant to control all individual app features for the first time, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
Siri will soon be able to perform tasks like opening specific documents, moving notes, deleting emails, summarizing articles, emailing links, and opening specific news sites in Apple News. Apple plans to use AI to analyze device activity and automatically enable these Siri features.
To achieve this, Apple engineers rearchitected Siri’s software using large language models (LLMs), the same technology behind chatbots like ChatGPT. Apple is negotiating with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into iOS 18 and is in talks with Google about incorporating Gemini, though Siri’s functionality will primarily rely on Apple’s own LLM work.
Initially, the new Siri features will be limited to Apple apps and will handle only one command at a time. Eventually, Siri will be able to respond to multiple commands, such as taking a photo and sending it in a message.
While these Siri features will be unveiled at WWDC 2024, they won’t be available when iOS 18 launches in September. Instead, Siri will be overhauled in a future iOS 18 update set for 2025.
Basic AI tasks in iOS 18 will be processed on-device, but more advanced capabilities will use Apple’s cloud servers. Previously, it was suggested that all initial iOS 18 features would be processed on-device to maintain privacy, but recent rumors indicate a shift. Apple’s new Siri technology will include code to determine whether a request can be processed on-device or requires servers. On-device AI capabilities will mostly require an iPhone 15 Pro or later, and an M1 or later for iPadOS 18 and macOS 15.
Apple’s AI servers will be powered by M2 Ultra and M4 chips, using the Secure Enclave to isolate data processing on its servers for enhanced security. An “intelligent report” will explain how information is kept safe.
Details about the new Siri AI functionality will be revealed at WWDC 2024, starting Monday, June 10.