Apple Delays AI-Powered Siri Update Until 2026

At the Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) 2025, Apple unveiled numerous updates to its operating systems and services, including a fresh design called “Liquid Glass” and a revamped naming scheme. However, the highly anticipated AI-powered, more personalized Siri update, first announced at WWDC 2024, was notably absent from detailed discussion.

Craig Federighi, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, briefly mentioned that the Siri update required more time to meet Apple’s quality standards and would not be ready until sometime in 2026. This delay is significant given the rapid pace of AI advancements from competitors like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic.

Originally, the personalized Siri was expected to understand users’ personal context—such as relationships, communications, and routines—and enable actions across apps, marking a major leap forward for Apple’s virtual assistant. However, reports indicated the AI was only functioning correctly about two-thirds of the time, making it unfit for release.

In response to these challenges, Apple reassigned leadership on the Siri project, replacing John Giannandrea with Mike Rockwell, who previously worked on the Vision Pro. This move signaled an effort to get the AI assistant back on track amid investor concerns about Apple’s AI competitiveness.

Meanwhile, Apple has partnered with OpenAI to supplement Siri’s capabilities. When Siri cannot answer a question, it can redirect users to ChatGPT. Additionally, iOS 26 will integrate ChatGPT into Apple’s AI image generation app, Image Playground, enhancing creative tools for users.

Beyond Siri, WWDC 2025 showcased a variety of AI-driven innovations, including developer access to on-device foundational AI models, live translation features, improvements to Genmoji and Visual Intelligence, an AI-powered Workout Buddy for Apple Watch, AI enhancements in Xcode, and a revamped AI-powered Shortcuts app for automation.

Apple’s cautious approach to releasing its personalized Siri highlights the challenges of delivering high-quality AI experiences in a competitive landscape. While the delay may disappoint some users, the company’s strategic partnerships and expanded AI features demonstrate its commitment to evolving its ecosystem thoughtfully.