Apple planning to 'completely revamp Siri' to create 'ultimate virtual assistant'

HomePod mini touch panel illuminated
(Image credit: Luke Filipowicz / iMore)

A new report claims Apple is currently using Large Language model (LLM) technology to “completely revamp Siri into the ultimate virtual assistant.”

According to X’s @Tech_Reve, “Apple is currently using LLM to completely revamp Siri into the ultimate virtual assistant and is preparing to develop it into Apple's most powerful killer AI app.” The insider, who has a strong Android track record of leaks but limited Apple chops, says that Apple’s “integrated development effort” is “actively underway” and that Apple is planning to unveil the first product at WWDC 2024 and to have it ready to ship as standard on iPhone 16 and beyond. 

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about Apple’s big plans for AI. Both The Information and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman have reported that Apple is working on an “AppleGPT” alternative to ChatGPT, known internally as “Ajax.” More recently, Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed “in terms of generative AI we have work going on, obviously,” and said the company was “investing quite a bit.” Cook teased product advancements “over time” with AI technologies at the heart of them. 

Apple, Siri, and AppleGPT - what we know so far

Siri is the obvious beneficiary of an Apple AI push, given it’s already a smart (ish) virtual assistant with machine learning. However, there are some other rumored possibilities. Apple is also reportedly working on AI tools for its coding app, Xcode, as well as Apple Music, Pages, Keynote, and its Messages app. Some of this might just entail generating playlists, better predictive text, and autocorrect, however, there’s also the prospect of generating more substantial content and even entire apps using AI at stake here. 

We’ve heard again previously that Apple is targeting iOS 18 as the vessel for these improvements, which lines up squarely with this latest prediction of WWDC 2024. Only time will tell as to whether Apple has truly managed to create “the ultimate virtual assistant.”

Of course, given Siri's used in a multitude of Apple devices, it won't just be Apple's next best iPhone that benefits from the change. Improvements could stretch beyond to the likes of Mac, iPad, Apple TV, and even the HomePod. 

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Stephen Warwick
News Editor

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design. Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9