Siri may not match ChatGPT's conversational skills until 2026, new iOS 19 rumors predict

Better late than never?

News By Alex Blake published 22 November 2024

• Apple’s Siri virtual assistant is currently bested by competitors like ChatGPT
• Apple wants to change that by developing an “LLM Siri” chatbot
• It might not launch until 2026, though

Siri has long lagged behind rivals like Google Assistant, and with the introduction of ChatGPT and other chatbots powered by large language models (LLMs), that gap has widened. But when Apple Intelligence appeared on the scene, it looked like Siri was finally turning a corner – and a new report claims Apple is planning its own LLM upgrade for Siri. Before we get too excited, though, there might be a while to wait until it arrives.

The rumor comes from Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, who has earned a reputation for accuracy when it comes to Apple leaks and rumors. In a new report, Gurman claims that Apple has been internally tested a version of Siri infused with LLM powers (predictably, it’s been dubbed “LLM Siri”), and the result is a more conversational, powerful version of Apple’s virtual assistant.

This new Siri will be able to conduct natural-feeling back-and-forth conversations, Gurman says, and it can also “handle more sophisticated requests in a quicker fashion” compared to the current Siri iteration.

Other new features will include the ability to “interact more like a human and handle tasks in a way that’s closer to ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini,” and it will make extensive use of Apple’s App Intents feature to precisely control third-party apps. It will also be able to use Apple Intelligence features, such as generating and summarizing text.

Coming in iOS 19?

Apple will announce the upgraded Siri in 2025 as part of iOS 19 and macOS 16, the report predicts.

However, as with the current slow implementation of Apple Intelligence, the new Siri won’t immediately be ready to use. Instead, it will be rolled out in spring 2026, according to Gurman.

Will that be too late for Apple, considering rivals like ChatGPT are already far ahead of Apple’s best efforts? Time will tell, but LLM Siri will need to be a monumental effort to close the gap. If Apple can pull it off, the firm’s fans will have a lot to look forward to.

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