NEW YORK — Apple Inc's long-promised overhaul for the Siri digital assistant is facing engineering problems and software bugs, threatening to postpone or limit its release, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
The company first unveiled plans for a new artificial-intelligence-infused Siri at its developers' conference last June and has even advertised some of the features to customers. But Apple is still racing to finish the software, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the situation is private. Some features, originally planned for April, may have to be postponed until May or later, they said.
The Siri makeover is a centrepiece of the Apple Intelligence platform, the company's effort to catch up in AI and spur iPhone upgrades. Even before the Siri snags, Apple Intelligence has had a bumpy rollout. The software has been released in stages since an October debut, and some features — such as news summaries — have drawn criticism for glitches.
Getting Siri right is especially crucial for Apple, which first introduced the digital assistant in 2011 as a groundbreaking interface. After falling behind competitors, the technology has come to represent the company's shortcomings in artificial intelligence.
The latest Siri developments are separate from the company's push to add AI features to devices in China. In that effort, Apple is working with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Baidu Inc to create a system that passes muster with Chinese regulators, Bloomberg News reported Thursday.
A spokesperson for Cupertino, California-based company declined to comment on the Siri project.
Last June, Apple touted three major enhancements coming to Siri:
- the ability to tap into a customer’s data to better answer queries and take actions.
- a new system that would let the assistant more precisely control apps.
- the capability to see what is currently on a device's screen and use that context to better serve users.
At the time, Apple hinted that the changes would not be released until 2025, but it was not yet clear how long they would take to arrive. Internally, the company has been planning to introduce the technology as part of iOS 18.4, the version of its mobile operating system coming in April.
But now Apple is considering delaying or limiting at least some of the overhaul until iOS 18.5, which will be released as early as May, the people said.
The goal is to ultimately offer a more versatile Siri that can seamlessly tap into customers' information and communication. For instance, users will be able to ask for a file or song that they discussed with a friend over text. Siri would then automatically retrieve that item. Apple also has demonstrated the ability for Siri to quickly locate someone's driver's licence number by reviewing their photos.
In one especially compelling part of the demonstration, a presenter used Siri to quickly locate her mother's flight and lunch reservation plans by searching across email and text message history. Now this very feature is one at risk of being delayed, according to the people.
Inside Apple, many employees testing the new Siri have found that these features do not yet work consistently. And it is nearing crunch time for the software to be ready. Though iOS 18.4 will not be released publicly until April, the beta version for developers is expected to debut as early as next week.
Another option on the table is including the features in the April release but having them turned off by default. In that scenario, Apple could then enable them automatically in the iOS 18.5 update.
Apple has discussed doing this with the personal data feature, as well as the tools for letting Siri more precisely control apps and device functions. But that could ultimately affect other Apple products.
The control enhancements — an upgraded version of something called App Intents — are central to the operation of the company's upcoming smart home hub. That product, an AI device for controlling smart home appliances and FaceTime, is slated for release later this year.
An Apple store in San Francisco, California, the United States, on June 11, 2024. (Photo: Bloomberg)
Despite a marketing blitz for Apple Intelligence, the company is struggling internally with a difficult reality: The AI platform is behind rival systems like OpenAI's ChatGPT, Alphabet Inc's Google Gemini and Meta Platforms Inc's Llama. The company's AI and machine-learning team has struggled to meet deadlines, the people said, and some engineers believe the system was rushed to market to appease an AI-obsessed Wall Street.
After Apple's quarterly results last month, Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook touted the software and said the company would "keep investing in innovation."
"Apple Intelligence opens up an exciting new frontier and is already elevating experiences across iPhone, iPad and Mac," he said during a conference call.
Sales of the iPhone unexpectedly fell about 1% during the holiday quarter, suggesting that AI features did not do much to boost sales. But Cook said that the new iPhone 16 performed better in countries where Apple Intelligence was available.
Behind the scenes, Apple is looking to make changes to its AI and machine-learning organisation, the people said. The company recently tapped longtime software executive Kim Vorrath, who is known for whipping the original iPhone and Vision Pro software into shape, for a senior role on the team. The AI effort is run by John Giannandrea, a former senior Google executive who joined Apple in 2018.
The gradual release of Apple Intelligence features has impacted the broader software development cycle. The company is preparing major updates tied to the fall launch of the iPhone 17 but delays to iOS 18 capabilities are rippling through the process. In some cases, iOS 19 features that were planned for the end of this year may be pushed back until 2026.
Users have been waiting for other Apple Intelligence features, beyond the new Siri. That includes AI sorting of mail messages on the iPad and Mac, a priority notifications interface for highlighting important alerts, and a sketch style in the Image Playground app for creating images. The mail upgrade will likely be part of iPadOS 18.4 and macOS 15.4, Bloomberg News has reported. It is already available on the iPhone.
This year's Siri changes are a prelude to a more ambitious effort to make the assistant more conversational and a closer match for ChatGPT. That upgrade has been planned for release as early as 2026, Bloomberg News has reported.
