Siri, why are you procrastinating? Apple may delay assistant upgrades until after WWDC

Apple‘s troubled AI voice assistant development is facing further delays, with no plans to showcase improvements at next month’s WWDC event. This setback comes amid internal turmoil described by some Apple employees as a “crisis,” highlighting the growing gap between Apple’s AI capabilities and those of its competitors. The strategic shift toward a new LLM-based Siri architecture demonstrates Apple’s acknowledgment that fundamental changes are needed to keep pace in the increasingly competitive AI assistant landscape.

The big picture: Apple will not present any Siri voice assistant improvements at WWDC in June, focusing instead on other Apple Intelligence features like the rumored Battery Intelligence system.

• Internal Apple sources told Bloomberg the company’s AI strategy has been “sinking for a long time,” with one senior AI team member describing the situation as a “crisis.”
• Bloomberg reports having seen internal data confirming Apple “remains years behind its competition” despite internal restructuring and a revised approach to Siri.

Behind the scenes: Apple’s AI offices in Zurich are reportedly developing a completely new architecture to replace the problematic Siri hybrid system.

• The initiative, codenamed “LLM Siri,” aims to create a “monolithic model” built entirely on an LLM-based engine to make Siri more conversational and better at synthesizing information.
• This represents a significant pivot from Apple’s previous strategy and would deliver capabilities beyond what was initially promised at WWDC 2024.

Development approach: Apple is reportedly training its new LLM with synthetic data to advance the model without compromising user privacy.

• The synthetic data approach allows Apple to train its AI “without feeding actual user information into the models,” maintaining the company’s privacy-focused reputation.
• Sources indicate Apple is preparing to separate the Apple Intelligence brand from Siri in its marketing, suggesting a potential strategic repositioning of its AI offerings.

Looking ahead: While Siri improvements won’t feature at WWDC 2025, Apple plans to showcase advancements in its broader Apple Intelligence ecosystem.

• The company’s focus on features like Battery Intelligence indicates a shift toward applying AI to practical device improvements rather than pushing forward with its voice assistant capabilities.
• The indefinite delay of the new Siri, originally expected in early 2025, points to significant technical challenges in Apple’s AI development pipeline.