Apple’s Siri: Once a Pioneer, Now an AI Laggard | PYMNTS.com
Mar 20, 2025 - pymnts.com
Apple's AI assistant, Siri, which was groundbreaking at its 2011 debut, now trails behind competitors like Amazon's Alexa and Google's Gemini. Recent reports indicate that improvements to Siri have been delayed until 2026, with Apple not providing a reason for the postponement. This delay comes amid leadership changes, with Mike Rockwell taking over Siri's development from John Giannandrea, following a strategic meeting of Apple's top executives. The shift reflects Apple's ongoing struggle with innovation and perfectionism, as highlighted by Siri co-designer Luc Julia, who attributes the slow progress to a fear of imperfection.
The article also touches on the legacy of Steve Jobs, noting that Apple's innovative strides have diminished since his passing in 2011. Larry Ellison, Oracle's chairman, previously predicted that Apple would struggle without Jobs, referencing the company's past decline during Jobs' absence in the 1980s. Despite the introduction of products like the Apple Vision Pro, Apple's current trajectory is seen as largely maintaining existing technologies rather than pioneering new ones.
Key takeaways:
Siri's development has been delayed until 2026, with Apple not providing a reason for the delay.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has replaced John Giannandrea with Mike Rockwell to oversee Siri's upgrades.
Luc Julia, Siri's co-designer, attributes Apple's slow progress to a fear of imperfection and a cautious approach.
Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison believes Apple's success has declined without Steve Jobs, referencing past struggles when Jobs was not at the company.
