Apple realized Siri's failings after execs tested ChatGPT for themselves before refocusing the company on significant iOS 18 upgrades

Siri on iOS
(Image credit: Christine Romero-Chan / iMore)

The rumors and reports of Apple bringing some key AI upgrades to the iPhone via iOS 18 later this year have been rumbling on for months, and as WWDC's June 10 kick-off edges ever nearer, we're starting to learn more about what's to be expected. We're also learning how Apple got to this point, a month away from what could be the biggest change to iOS in years.

We've been hearing of late that Apple is close to striking a deal with OpenAI that will see ChatGPT form the basis for some of the upgrades that are coming to the iPhone, and a new report suggests that it's the chatbot itself that convinced Apple that it was time to make changes. Siri was getting long in the tooth, and it needed a revamp. Apple AI may even offer that when it eventually releases.

According to the report Apple executives Craig Federighi and John Giannandrea spent weeks testing ChatGPT to see what it could do before ultimately deciding that Siri had been leapfrogged and that changes were needed.

A new tent pole project

The New York Times report claims that the revelation saw Apple make generative AI a "tent pole project," the term that the company uses when choosing what direction the company should head in, ultimately organizing employees around such initiatives.

There would be a symmetry to the story if this report is accurate, of course. ChatGPT could ultimately be responsible for fixing the Siri issue that it highlighted, presumably earning OpenAI a hefty chunk of change in the process.

Apple's WWDC debut of iOS 18 will give us a hint at what's to come, but we'll have to wait until September to try it out for ourselves. For now, all eyes are on June 10 to see what Apple's Siri upgrade will have to offer.

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Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.

  • erikbock
    That's because they bought Siri and then didn't do anything with it. Truth be known with Apple's resources (People and money) Siri should be lightyears ahead of even Alexa at a minimum.
    Reply
  • Ledsteplin
    erikbock said:
    That's because they bought Siri and then didn't do anything with it. Truth be known with Apple's resources (People and money) Siri should be lightyears ahead of even Alexa at a minimum.

    And you will get Apple's version of AI with iOS 18, for only $6.99 a month. Or keep your low IQ SIRI for free.
    Disclaimer: This is just a guess. I have no idea how Apple will offer AI to users.
    Reply
  • Wotchered
    Ledsteplin said:
    And you will get Apple's version of AI with iOS 18, for only $6.99 a month. Or keep your low IQ SIRI for free.
    Disclaimer: This is just a guess. I have no idea how Apple will offer AI to users.

    Huh ! you'd have to convince me to use Siri in the first place.
    Reply
  • FFR
    Ledsteplin said:
    And you will get Apple's version of AI with iOS 18, for only $6.99 a month. Or keep your low IQ SIRI for free.
    Disclaimer: This is just a guess. I have no idea how Apple will offer AI to users.

    Atleast that would mean we would have an option to use the ai or not. If it’s free we don’t get a choice, just like that horrible u2 album .
    Reply
  • TNT
    Wotchered said:
    Huh ! you'd have to convince me to use Siri in the first place.
    Siri is only useful for Carplay while driving. Even then it's questionable. Far better options.
    Reply
  • FFR
    Just picked up three new HomePods, Siri controlling Apple Music is actually pretty good.
    Reply
  • Annie_M
    I love using Siri with my HomePod mini to turn on timers to turn off lights in the kitchen, etc. Siri always works for me.
    Reply