Apple has postponed the launch of its AI-enhanced Siri features, confirming that the anticipated upgrade will not arrive until 2025. Initially expected in 2024, the delayed rollout leaves Siri trailing behind AI-driven assistants like Google’s Gemini Live and Amazon’s Alexa+, both of which are offering advanced AI capabilities.
The delay highlights ongoing difficulties in Apple’s AI development. A company spokesperson acknowledged the setback to Daring Fireball, stating, “It’s going to take us longer than we thought to deliver on these features, and we anticipate rolling them out in the coming year.”
While Apple claims the update will bring a more capable, personalized Siri, it remains unclear when these improvements will be ready for consumers.
Internal Reports Show Siri’s AI Overhaul May Not Arrive Until 2026
Apple’s challenges in bringing AI-driven enhancements to Siri have been evident for some time. Earlier reports already indicated that Apple’s full AI overhaul of Siri may not be complete until 2026.
The company has been working on large language model (LLM) integrations for Siri, but development hurdles have slowed progress significantly.
Unlike other conversational AI models that rely on cloud-based learning, Apple’s AI processing is conducted on-device to prioritize user privacy.
This approach limits Siri’s ability to improve dynamically and has contributed to Apple’s lag behind AI competitors that leverage cloud-powered processing.
Internal evaluations by Apple found that Siri’s AI accuracy is 25% lower than OpenAI’s ChatGPT and that it failed in 30% more instances when responding to complex queries. While Apple Intelligence was expected to address these shortcomings, the latest delay suggests that the assistant’s improvements are still not ready for release.
Apple Intelligence Faces Backlash Over AI-Generated Misinformation
Technical issues are not Apple’s only challenge. In January 2025, Apple Intelligence came under scrutiny when it was caught spreading false news headlines. The AI-generated summaries incorrectly announced sports results before matches had concluded and misattributed statements to public figures.
The BBC, which was directly affected by the inaccuracies, criticized Apple’s AI system, stating, “It is essential that Apple fixes this problem urgently—as this has happened multiple times.” The issue raised concerns over AI-generated misinformation, prompting Reporters Without Borders to warn about potential risks to media credibility.
Privacy Concerns: Apple Settles $95 Million Lawsuit Over Siri Recordings
Apple has also faced legal scrutiny over how Siri handles user data. In January, the company agreed to pay a $95 million settlement to resolve claims that Siri had been secretly recording conversations without user consent.
The lawsuit, which originated in 2019, alleged that Siri frequently activated by mistake and captured sensitive discussions, some of which were later reviewed by Apple contractors.
While Apple denied wrongdoing, the settlement required it to compensate affected U.S. users with payouts of up to $20 per device. The case further complicated Apple’s AI development, as it reinforced the company’s need to take a cautious approach to AI features while maintaining its privacy-first stance.
Siri’s Automation Errors Raise Further Doubts
Beyond legal concerns, Siri has suffered from functionality issues. In December 2024, a proactive AI automation feature caused Siri to create fake restaurant reservations after users merely browsed OpenTable pages.
This led to calendar alerts for non-existent bookings, frustrating users who had not intended to make reservations.
With Siri’s AI improvements now postponed again, Apple faces growing pressure to ensure that the next version of its assistant is not only more capable but also free from the errors that have plagued past iterations.
Amazon and Google Are Moving Ahead in AI While Apple Slows Down
While Apple delays Siri’s AI overhaul, its competitors are making significant progress. Amazon just launched Alexa+, an AI assistant capable of remembering past conversations, adapting to user preferences, and performing real-time automation.
Unlike Siri, which still lacks persistent memory, Alexa+ can recall interactions to personalize responses. Amazon’s decision to offer the service for free to Prime members while charging non-members $19.99 per month reflects the company’s confidence in its AI strategy.
Google has also been expanding its AI capabilities with Gemini Live, which enables users to interact with their assistant through live video and on-screen content interpretation. The AI assistant, which just received a widget upgrade for better integration into iOS, can process real-world inputs and provide AI-generated explanations in real time, a feature that Apple has yet to introduce in Siri.
The rapid progression of these AI assistants highlights Apple’s slower pace in deploying major AI updates. With Google’s AI ecosystem becoming increasingly integrated into voice assistants, search, and productivity tools, and Amazon refining its assistant’s personalization capabilities, Siri risks falling behind as the AI market evolves.
Apple’s AI Strategy: A Long-Term Plan or a Falling Behind?
Apple’s AI development strategy has long prioritized privacy and on-device processing, a decision that has shaped its AI capabilities but also limited the speed of improvement. While companies like Google and Amazon leverage cloud-based AI models that continuously learn from vast amounts of data, Apple’s approach restricts its AI’s ability to evolve dynamically.
This privacy-first model benefits security-conscious users but has placed Apple at a disadvantage in terms of feature expansion and real-time learning.
One area where Apple still has an advantage is its integration across hardware and software. Siri remains a core feature across iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches, giving Apple unique control over the user experience. However, if Siri’s AI capabilities remain subpar, users may increasingly turn to third-party AI assistants like ChatGPT or Gemini for more advanced interactions.
With Apple Intelligence now expected in 2025 and a more advanced Siri potentially pushed to 2026, the company must demonstrate that its AI strategy is more than just delayed updates—it needs to show that its approach to AI can compete in a rapidly advancing market.
