Apple unveils “Siri AI” – a more conversational voice assistant
▼ Summary
– Apple announced a long-delayed “Apple Intelligence” update for Siri, rolling out this fall, alongside a Google-powered update to its Foundation Models.
– Apple’s SVP of Software Engineering stated that their AI is centered on users, unlike competitors who pursue AI without regard for people.
– Scripted demos showed Siri AI handling multi-step conversations with multi-second pauses between prompts and responses.
– In one demo, Siri answered multiple queries about a World Cup match, then found a recipe and a friend’s message to create a watch party menu.
– In another demo, Siri identified a photo location, found a friend’s new address, and provided directions with a stop, all via Apple Maps.
Apple has finally pulled back the curtain on its long-anticipated “Apple Intelligence” upgrade for the Siri voice assistant, unveiled during a pre-recorded keynote at the Worldwide Developers Conference. The new Siri AI is now slated for release with operating system updates rolling out “this fall.” It will debut alongside an updated, Google-powered version of Apple’s on-device Foundation Models, paired with deeper integration of these AI features across the company’s ecosystem of operating systems.
Craig Federighi, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, drew a sharp contrast with competitors who he said “appear to be racing forward, seemingly pursuing AI for the sake of AI, with little regard for the people… it’s meant to serve.” He added, “We believe that truly helpful AI must be centered around you and your needs.”
The company showcased this philosophy through a series of scripted, conversational demos featuring Siri AI. These exchanges included deliberate, multi-second pauses between each user prompt and Siri’s response, lending an unpolished, natural feel. In these demonstrations, Apple executives showed the assistant fluidly shifting between different usage modes and app-based tasks, emphasizing how Apple Intelligence can now operate “well beyond one-shot tasks” to deliver a “brand new conversational experience.”
In one example, a user began by asking about World Cup schedule details, then requested recipes inspired by a Brazil vs Morocco match. The conversation continued with a request for a dessert the user recalled his friend Maria mentioning recently , which Siri located in his Messages app. The user then asked Siri to compile all this into a watch party menu and send it to a group chat alongside an invitation.
Another demo started with a query about where a photo of an arch was taken, followed by a request for the address of a friend named Jeff who had just moved. With those answers, Siri was able to “give me directions to the arch with a stop at Jeff’s” directly through Apple Maps, handling the logistics without any manual juggling.
(Source: Ars Technica)
