Apple is giving a makeover to Siri, adds to it new powers with generative AI

Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024 kicked off yesterday with major announcements, including the unveiling of iOS 18, macOS updates, and more. Amongst these, the biggest highlight was the introduction of a highly anticipated new version of Apple’s voice assistant, Siri. The updated Siri is enhanced with advanced generative AI capabilities through a new system called “Apple Intelligence.”

Apple has given these new AI powers to Siri to improve its functionality, making it more natural, context-aware, and deeply integrated within Apple’s ecosystem. This transformation includes ChatGPT integration, promising more sophisticated responses and new AI-powered features. Apple describes the revamped Siri as “more natural, more contextually relevant, and more personal,” with the ability to streamline and expedite everyday tasks. Let’s take a detailed look at the new features in Apple’s advanced voice assistant.

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New design

The revamped Siri includes a fresh design featuring a glowing light that wraps around the screen edges when activated. This visual update aims to create a more engaging user experience. Beyond aesthetics, Apple has expanded Siri’s functionality with onscreen awareness, enabling it to perform actions based on the content displayed on the screen. For example, users can now ask Siri to add a new address from a text message directly to a contact card or find and act upon book recommendations sent via Messages or Mail.

Improved language understanding

Apple’s Siri now features richer language-understanding capabilities, allowing it to process and respond to user commands more naturally. This improvement ensures Siri can maintain context across multiple interactions, even if users stumble over their words. Additionally, users can now type to Siri and switch seamlessly between text and voice inputs, offering more flexible ways to interact with the assistant.

Siri and its integration with third-party apps

One of the standout features of the new Siri is its ability to take actions across a wide range of apps, both from Apple and third-party developers, thanks to the new App Intents API. This means developers can enable Siri to perform specific tasks within their applications. For instance, users might ask Siri to “make this photo pop” in a photo editing app or “send the photos from the barbecue on Saturday to Malia” via a messaging app. This expanded functionality allows for more seamless interactions across different apps and services.

Apple partners with openAI to power Siri

Notably, Apple has partnered with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT technology into Siri, boosting its generative AI capabilities. This integration allows Siri to handle more complex tasks and provide more sophisticated responses. Users will be able to access ChatGPT through updates to Apple’s iPhone and Mac operating systems, enhancing functionalities like text and content generation. This partnership is part of Apple’s strategy to incorporate advanced AI technologies and remain competitive in the tech landscape.

Apple ensures privacy with advanced Siri

Apple has assured users that the new AI capabilities in its devices and Siri will adhere to its stringent privacy standards. While for some AI features the data processing will occur on the device itself, for more power-intensive tasks the company will be relying on the cloud without storing user data there. The approach is in line with Apple’s aim to balance enhanced functionality with user privacy.

Only selected Apple Devices will get the new Siri

This advanced Siri experience will be available exclusively on the latest iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Powered by Apple Intelligence, the majority of Siri’s new capabilities will be accessible only on the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPads and Macs equipped with M1 chips or later.