Ever since Apple announced its new AI features back at WWDC 2024 in June, iPhone users have been eagerly waiting for a much-needed Siri update. Apple promised major improvements to the outdated voice assistant, but they have yet to materialize, along with most of the features of Apple Intelligence.
Recent rumors hint that Apple still has a long-awaited Siri overhaul in the works, though, specifically a completely new version of Siri powered by a large language model (LLM) — that's the same tech ChatGPT and Google's Gemini use.
An "LLM Siri" could not only give the voice assistant the revamp it desperately needs but also vastly improve the iPhone user experience. Here's a look at how it might work and when Apple might release it.
How an LLM Siri upgrade could transform Apple Intelligence
On Thursday, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple is developing a new version of Siri powered by a large language model, much like ChatGPT and Google Gemini.
The new-and-improved Siri will feature more conversational language, improved understanding of prompts, expanded capabilities, and better app integration using App Intents. It's set to be the most dramatic overhaul of Siri since it launched in 2010.
All the Siri cynics out there might scoff at the idea of such a significant update to Apple's outdated voice assistant, however, there's reason to be optimistic. An LLM Siri could finally fulfill the promise of what voice assistants were supposed to be all along: intelligent digital helpers that can complete tasks for you on your phone using simple voice commands.
LLM tech could solve many of the shortcomings that are holding Siri back. For instance, an LLM Siri would have the contextual understanding to answer follow-up questions or "remember" previous conversations or preferences.
It would also have the understanding to correctly interpret complex commands and questions. Right now, Siri is only capable of correctly executing basic tasks like starting a phone call or setting an alarm. An LLM Siri could draft an email for you or maybe even post a photo to social media or allow you to interact with third-party apps through voice commands.
Improved app integrations could be a critical upgrade for Siri, which is why more emphasis on App Intents is so noteworthy. App Intents allow developers to effectively translate how their app functions so Apple Intelligence can understand it and control the app through a user's voice commands. If more apps adopt App Intents, Siri could become an AI multi-tool you could use to control your entire device without manually opening any apps.
Would a revamped Siri clash with Apple's privacy culture?
An LLM Siri could bring a slew of much-needed improvements to iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. However, it does pose potential privacy risks Apple will have to navigate carefully for the new version of Siri to be successful.
LLMs use massive amounts of training data to understand questions, conversations, images, and more. For instance, when ChatGPT generates an email draft for you, it's basing that text off of millions of examples of similar emails that it viewed in its training data.
The issue with this process is that it can be difficult to keep data completely private while training and using an LLM. Technically, the AI learns from every interaction it has, meaning data is (usually) getting saved in some capacity.
This has long posed issues for existing LLM AI platforms. For example, Italy banned ChatGPT back in 2023 over concerns that the AI was saving personal information in its training data.
Apple seems to already be planning ahead for this. In June, it announced Private Cloud Compute, a service that uses private Apple servers running on secure M3 chips to process anonymized user data for Apple Intelligence features. Apple emphasized at WWDC 2024 that any personal or identifiable information needed for Apple Intelligence will only be saved on users' individual devices, never in the cloud or Apple servers.
That approach is unique among the major players in AI, at least so far. If the new LLM-powered version of Siri performs as well as ChatGPT or Google Gemini, Apple's uniquely private alternative to those platforms could vault it to the top of the AI market.
When is the LLM Siri update coming out?
If you're as excited about the potential of a major Siri upgrade as we are, you're probably already wondering when you'll be able to use it. Unfortunately, it's going to be a long wait.
Apple has kept things pretty airtight so far about exactly when it will launch, but current rumors hint at a spring 2026 release date. We're expecting iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16 to launch in summer or fall 2025, but it looks like the big Siri update won't be part of the initial release for those software updates. Much like the first sampling of Apple Intelligence features this year, it will arrive later as a version update in iOS 19/iPadOS 19/macOS 16.
That's disappointing news considering Apple has been stirring excitement over a new and improved Siri since announcing Apple Intelligence at WWDC 2024. I'm hardly surprised about the long wait, though. All the features of Apple Intelligence are going to trickle in slowly over the next year as it is.
The question is, will that long wait put Apple too far behind to catch up with Meta and Google? We'll have to wait and see.
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