Apple's Siri AI has finally arrived in the consumer beta build of iOS 27, launched in July. The AI assistant now fulfills Apple's promises by understanding personal context, accessing world knowledge, and retrieving relevant information stored on the iPhone. Despite these capabilities, the release feels anticlimactic, as the AI landscape has evolved significantly during Apple's delay. Today, AI tools can code, build software, and perform multi-step tasks, while AI agents assist with complex operations, all of which Apple's Siri AI now competes with.
Siri AI offers natural, back-and-forth conversations with customizable voice settings, allowing users to type or use a dedicated app for the first time. It can locate items like photos, emails, or receipts without specific details and interpret data from saved photos or QR codes. Users can also launch websites, apps, and perform tasks like getting directions, editing photos, or drafting emails. Siri consistently plays requested media on preferred apps, a feature it previously struggled with. Additionally, it can brainstorm with users, helping refine ideas, explore recipes, or find event details based on location.
The improvements stem from Apple's partnership with Google, utilizing its Gemini AI models to train and refine Apple's proprietary models. These models are designed to run on Apple's Silicon and Private Cloud Compute infrastructure, ensuring functionality. Despite delivering a functional Siri, the release feels like fixing a long-standing bug rather than a revolutionary change. The general public will access the new Siri with the official iOS 27 release, expected in September.
Source: techcrunch
