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Jun 13 min read

Apple to Unveil Major Siri Overhaul with Advanced AI Features at WWDC 2024, Enhancing App Control

Apple plans to overhaul Siri with advanced AI capabilities, allowing users to control specific app functions using voice commands. The Siri upgrade will be a highlight of Apple's AI strategy, to be unveiled at the Worldwide Developers Conference. New features include voice memo transcriptions, website recaps, automated message replies, advanced photo editing, and AI-generated emojis.

iPhone
Credit: REUTERS

According to insiders familiar with the matter, this update will enable users to control specific functions within apps using voice commands.


The upcoming system upgrade will mark the first time Siri can seamlessly navigate and command various features within apps. To achieve this, Apple has revamped Siri's underlying software, leveraging large language models that are integral to generative AI. This enhancement will be a key highlight of Apple's renewed focus on AI, which will be unveiled at the Worldwide Developers Conference on June 10.


As part of its broader AI strategy, Apple is preparing to introduce several new features. These include voice memo transcriptions and summaries, quick website recaps and notifications, automated message replies, advanced photo editing capabilities, and AI-generated emojis, as previously reported by Bloomberg.


To optimise performance, Apple plans to process basic AI tasks directly on devices, while more complex capabilities will be handled through cloud computing. Additionally, Apple has been in talks with OpenAI to integrate the startup's chatbot and other technologies into the iOS operating system. Discussions are also underway with Google parent company Alphabet Inc. to potentially incorporate its Gemini software in the future.


At the heart of Apple's AI push is Siri, which will take center stage at the WWDC unveiling. The upgraded Siri will offer users greater precision and control over their iPhones and iPads. For instance, users will be able to open specific documents, move notes to different folders, send or delete emails, access particular publications in Apple News, share web links via email, and even request article summaries.


While Apple declined to comment on these developments, it is worth noting that Siri's current capabilities are primarily limited to broader commands such as playing music, searching for information, and controlling smart home devices. Apple has also provided app intents to developers, allowing them to integrate Siri with specific features. In 2018, Apple introduced Siri Shortcuts, enabling users to create custom commands for app functionalities.


The upcoming Siri overhaul will go beyond these existing capabilities by utilising AI to analyse user behavior and automatically enable Siri-controlled features. Initially, this functionality will be limited to Apple's own apps, with plans to expand support to hundreds of different commands.


In terms of timeline, this feature is part of Apple's more complex AI initiatives and is not expected to be released until next year, as part of a subsequent update to iOS 18. The initial version of the new operating system is set to launch in September, coinciding with the release of the next iPhone models.


Apple's vision for Siri includes the ability to handle multiple commands in succession. For example, users could ask Siri to summarise a recorded meeting and then send it as a text to a colleague. The potential is also there for users to request Siri to crop a picture and then email it to a friend.


Privacy concerns have arisen due to the cloud-based approach, which requires the transfer of some user data to remote servers. However, Apple aims to address these concerns by utilising its Secure Enclave technology, which safeguards user information in high-end Apple Mac chips powering data centers.


To further reassure customers, Apple plans to create an "intelligence report" that explains how user data is secured. Unlike Google and Meta Platforms Inc., Apple has committed not to build customer profiles.


With this Siri upgrade, Apple aims to regain its position as a leader in voice-based interfaces and AI. Although Siri was initially groundbreaking when it launched in 2011, it has since fallen behind competitors such as Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant. Apple is also facing a sales slowdown, with its shares underperforming compared to industry peers.


Apple is betting that the introduction of new AI features for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, along with the Siri enhancements, will incentivise users to upgrade their devices. Many of the on-device AI capabilities will require an iPhone 15 Pro or later, while Macs and iPads will need at least an M1 chip.

 

  • Apple plans to overhaul Siri with advanced AI capabilities, allowing users to control specific app functions using voice commands.

  • The Siri upgrade will be a highlight of Apple's AI strategy, to be unveiled at the Worldwide Developers Conference.

  • New features include voice memo transcriptions, website recaps, automated message replies, advanced photo editing, and AI-generated emojis.


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