Sources: Apple plans to overhaul Siri with more advanced AI, a move that would allow Siri to take command of all the features within apps for the first time

- The feature will be at the heart of renewed Apple push into AI — Idea is to operate features within individual apps using voice

Bloomberg 2024-05-31 Mark Gurman

Context & Ripple Effects

Apple’s reported plan positioned Siri as an execution layer inside third-party software rather than only a voice-response interface. Later coverage of upgraded App Intents testing with major apps suggests that this ambition depends on developers exposing reliable, granular actions to Siri.

The trajectory broadened from app control to a proposed chatbot-style Siri interface and, later, support for AI services through App Store apps. That makes this early report a foundational step in Apple’s effort to make Siri the entry point for actions across its software ecosystem.

First-order effects

Apple’s AI push becomes directly tied to making Siri capable of carrying out tasks within individual apps by voice, rather than limiting the assistant to its existing command set.
App developers become immediate implementation partners: Siri can only control features that apps make available through compatible action interfaces.

Second-order effects

Developers with high-frequency tasks have an incentive to expose more app actions, since voice invocation could become an additional discovery and engagement channel; apps without such integrations risk being less reachable through Siri.
The reported app-control direction set up the later move toward a chatbot-style Siri replacement, raising the bar for a unified interface that can both answer requests and complete them across apps.

Third-order effects

If app integrations become broadly reliable, Siri could evolve into an assistant operating layer that mediates how users reach services, shifting some interaction away from individual app interfaces.
Apple’s later reported plan to allow multiple AI services through App Store apps points to a more open assistant layer, though the degree of platform control will depend on its integration rules and developer adoption.

The trend: Consumer platforms are turning assistants from answer engines into action layers that coordinate work across apps and AI services.

Discussion

@rsgnl Joe Rossignol on threads
An aspect of Mark's report that stood out to me: iOS 18's smarter Siri features seemingly aren't launching until an iOS 18.x update in 2025. I'm sure Apple will preview this at WWDC, and then the features will probably have a “coming in early 2025” label on Apple's website.
@vthallam Venkatesh Thallam on threads
Some of the planned features include > AI transcription of voice notes, custom emojis from text, sending emails, summarizing news articles, opening certain publication in Apple News All of these feels very underwhelming tbh, but I guess that's expected. …
@nick_statt Nick Statt on threads
Slowly coming to the realization that the current LLM market might play out the same as the smart speaker one, where you're going to be tied to whatever model works with whatever hardware you use and it's going to be annoying as shit to integrate anything across platforms. https:…
@iryantldr@mastodon.social Ryan Christoffel on mastodon
iOS 18's Siri sounds like the Siri we've wanted and expected all along. https://9to5mac.com/...
@janinegibson.bsky.social Janine Gibson on bluesky
Siri can't tell the difference between being summoned and a simple apology, I'm not sure about this [embedded post]
@markgurman Mark Gurman on x
Apple is betting that the new AI features for the iPhone will encourage users to upgrade their devices. Many of the on-device AI capabilities will require an iPhone 15 Pro or later to work. Macs and iPads, meanwhile, will need at least an M1 chip. https://www.bloomberg.com/...
@markgurman Mark Gurman on x
A lot of people using macOS 15 and iOS 18 keep mentioning the revamp to Settings. Obviously not a huge deal, but it's getting a new UI with a reorganized, cleaner layout that's more simple to navigate. It also has much improved search. There are also updates to Control Center.
@markgurman Mark Gurman on x
NEW: Apple plans to overhaul Siri in iOS 18 with more advanced AI that will let users precisely control app features with their voice https://www.bloomberg.com/...
@carnage4life Dare Obasanjo on x
The fascinating thing about this story of how Sam Altman signed a deal with Apple to add ChatGPT to iOS despite Satya Nadella's concerns is that it's now an open secret that Apple is betting on OpenAI. As in Apple had no leverage to maintain the secrecy. https://www.theinformatio…
@stephenrobles Stephen Robles on x
@mattcassinelli Bro, Shortcuts is about to go crazy
@mattcassinelli Matthew Cassinelli on x
I'm so goddamn excited
@appltrack @appltrack on x
Many on-device AI features in iOS 18 will require the iPhone 15 Pro to work, according to @markgurman 🤖 This is likely because it has the latest A17 Pro chip inside with Apple's most powerful neural engine yet. [image]
@handleym99 Maynard Handley on x
@billwasik Obvious proof that Apple knows nothing about AI, and especially not how to turn it into a product useful to most people...
@jslxmd @jslxmd on x
@appltrack @markgurman That is highly unfortunate
@markgurman Mark Gurman on x
NEW: Apple plans to overhaul Siri in iOS 18 with more advanced AI that will let users precisely control app features with their voice https://www.bloomberg.com/...
@billwasik Bill Wasik on x
Crazy — my son was looking for a book on our bookshelves, so he took an iPhone picture of the whole shelves (hundreds of books) and then searched for the book's title in his photos.
r/apple r on reddit
Apple Plans AI-Based Siri Overhaul to Control Individual App Functions
r/OpenAI r on reddit
Apple Plans AI-Based Siri Overhaul to Control Individual App Functions

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