Apple indefinitely postpones Siri enhancements, admits to AI flaws
What's the story
Apple has indefinitely postponed its promised AI upgrades to Siri after top executives, including software chief Craig Federighi, determined the features "didn't work properly — or as advertised," Bloomberg reported. Originally scheduled for the iOS 18.4 update in April, these features will now arrive "in the coming year" due to significant bugs hindering progress.
Bug issues
Engineers struggle to resolve bugs in Siri AI enhancements
Apple's engineers have been racing to fix "a rash of bugs in the project." However, their efforts have been unsuccessful so far. Internal sources indicate that the features may not be released until next year at the earliest. Some in Apple's AI division believe the firm might need to "rebuild the functions from scratch" due to these issues.
AI ambitions
Delay hampers Apple's AI ambitions and marketing efforts
The delay in Siri's AI enhancements marks a significant blow to the company's AI ambitions. The firm has been advertising these now-postponed features in television commercials for nearly six months, prominently marketing the iPhone 16 as "built from the ground up for Apple Intelligence." This setback adds to growing concerns about Apple's AI capabilities, with some employees questioning whether CEO Tim Cook or the board needs to intervene to prevent the firm from falling further behind competitors like Amazon.
Roadmap disruption
Apple's AI roadmap faces disruption and competition
The timeline for Apple's AI roadmap has been significantly disrupted, with plans for a more conversational, ChatGPT-like Siri possibly pushed back to 2027 with iOS 20. Meanwhile, rivals like Amazon are moving ahead with the launch of Alexa+, further intensifying the competition in the fast-evolving world of AI.