Apple executives say new AI-powered Siri wasn't 'demoware,' it just wasn't ready to ship

Following Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 25), Apple executives addressed concerns about the delayed launch of a personalized, AI-powered Siri, which was showcased at WWDC 24. Despite criticism, Apple senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi emphasized that AI is a long-term transformational technology and that Apple is focused on delivering the right features rather than rushing to market. Federighi explained that the company initially demonstrated version 1 of Siri's AI architecture but decided to develop a more advanced version 2 to meet customer expectations, with a planned release in 2026. Apple senior vice president of worldwide marketing Greg Joswiak also noted that the software had an unacceptable error rate, which led to the decision to delay its release.

Apple's broader AI strategy is not to create a chatbot to compete with ChatGPT but to integrate intelligence across its operating systems. Federighi stated that Apple's goal is to provide developers with tools to build more intelligent apps using Apple's foundation models, rather than focusing on a standalone chat experience. The executives highlighted that the demonstrations at WWDC 24 were based on real working software, countering claims that the technology was merely "demoware."

Key takeaways

Apple executives denied that last year’s demonstrations of a personalized, AI-powered Siri were vaporware, emphasizing a long-term approach to AI development.
Apple showcased two versions of AI architecture for Siri, with the second version set to ship in 2026 to meet customer expectations.
Apple's goal is to integrate intelligence across its operating systems rather than creating a chatbot to rival others like ChatGPT.
Apple aims to provide developers with tools to build more intelligent apps using its foundation models.

Apple executives say new AI-powered Siri wasn't 'demoware,' it just wasn't ready to ship | TechCrunch

Key takeaways

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