Apple is expected to infuse iOS 18 with AI features. Siri is also in line to get an overhaul, but some key features may only arrive in 2025.
Apple is all set to host the WWDC 2024, where AI is expected to take center stage. A new report from analyst Mark Gurman has revealed that Apple may be looking to overhaul Siri using advanced artificial intelligence and large language models.
According to Gurman, Apple plans to update Siri in a phased manner. The initial version of this new Siri is set to arrive in September along with the iPhone 16, but it may not be as powerful as you expect. But, the most powerful AI features are set to be added by 2025.
After these updates, Siri is expected to be powerful enough to control app features for the first time. This is unlike the current iteration of Siri, which can only play your favorite track or control smart home devices. According to Gurman, it will be able to open individual documents, delete specific emails, and more.
He further says that initially, Siri will only be able to access Apple’s applications and perform one task at a time. However, eventually, it will be able to handle a chain of commands like summarizing a document and then sending it over as an email attachment to a friend or colleague.
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This is similar to what most AI chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and others can do. Apple is reportedly working with OpenAI to infuse some AI features into iOS 18. Apple is also in touch with Google to use some of Gemini’s prowess. However, Siri is most likely to use Apple’s in-house LLMs.
Moreover, Apple wants Siri to analyze and decide between on-device AI and the cloud to complete a task. However, processing user data on the cloud raises concerns regarding privacy and security.
To mitigate any such issues and to answer any doubts related to data security, Apple is also rumored to be working on a “virtual black box.” A report by The Information says that Apple will use in-house hardware and software to build this secure virtual environment to keep user data out of bounds, even from Apple employees.
