Apple faces problems integrating AI into Siri — launch dates for updated assistant are being pushed back

Apple has reportedly encountered a number of technical difficulties in integrating its Siri voice assistant with artificial intelligence algorithms, according to online sources. According to Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, many Siri-related AI features will be released later than originally planned.

Image Source: Apple

Late last year, Mark Gurman reported that Apple was developing a new major language model (LLM) that would form the basis of Siri in iOS 19. The updated voice assistant was expected to consolidate current capabilities and gain new features, and before the release of iOS 19, developers would introduce a major update to Siri, making it more similar to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. However, Gurman now claims that this update will not be released in June, as previously expected.

In fact, some within Apple’s AI division believe that the more advanced, conversational version of Siri may not reach users until iOS 20 — and that’s an optimistic scenario. Meanwhile, the three AI features announced for iOS 18 are still expected to launch in May, along with the iOS 18.5 update.

Citing internal Apple data, Gurman notes that actual usage of Apple Intelligence remains extremely low, indicating little user interest in the company’s current AI capabilities. He also adds that iOS 19 may not see significant improvements in AI.

«”Everything I’ve heard suggests that iOS 19 won’t bring any significant consumer-facing changes to Apple Intelligence. That’s because Apple is still focused on releasing features that were announced last year. It’s hard to work on future features until current updates are available to users,” Gurman wrote.

While this may seem disappointing, it’s hardly a surprise: Apple’s struggles with AI have been reported before. However, if Gurman’s predictions are correct, significant updates to Apple Intelligence may not arrive until iOS 20, which may not happen until 2027.