Apple is pitching a radically upgraded “Siri AI” as the centerpiece of its long-delayed Apple Intelligence strategy, even as critics say the company is arriving late to an AI race now defined by powerful agents rather than basic chatbots.

From delays and lawsuits to a “do‑over” at WWDC

After first promising a generative Siri overhaul in 2024 and then delaying it for a year, Apple used WWDC 2026 to unveil what it calls an “entirely new version of Siri” embedded across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro.¹ The upgraded assistant is more conversational, can read what’s on screen, and gains a dedicated app that stores chat history synced via iCloud.² One outlet dubbed the launch Apple’s “AI do-over,” noting that Siri AI has been rebuilt on a custom Google Gemini model in what is described as the assistant’s most significant overhaul in 15 years.³

Apple positions these features as the “next generation of Apple Intelligence,” threading AI into apps like Safari, Messages, Calendar, Photos and Shortcuts to auto-organize tabs, draft replies, and generate images.⁴⁵ iOS 27 will bring the new Siri to devices as old as the iPhone 11, with a beta later this year.⁶⁷

How Siri AI works — and why Google is in the loop

Under the hood, Apple is using a three-tier setup: small tasks run on-device, more complex ones on Apple’s Private Cloud Compute, and the heaviest requests are routed to Gemini models running on Nvidia hardware in Google data centers.³⁸ Apple insists queries are processed statelessly, that Google “uses none” of Apple user data, and that the contract forbids training on that data.³⁸

Supporters: “slow and steady” and finally usable

Some analysts argue Apple’s measured approach now looks smart, emphasizing “helpful and intuitive products” over AI for its own sake.⁹ A hands-on test found the new Siri can finally perform everyday tasks like turning messy emails into calendar events, concluding that while basic, “it actually works,” a “huge” change for Apple’s assistant.¹⁰

Others say Apple’s focus on privacy, security, and trust may be better for consumers, even if it takes longer to ship advanced features.¹¹

Critics: late, limited, and missing entire regions

Skeptics note that rivals such as OpenAI and Anthropic have already shifted to more autonomous “agentic” tools, while Apple is “finally delivering” context-aware chat two years after first promising it.¹² Commentators argue Apple’s new features largely mirror capabilities Google and others have offered for years and question whether this “years-late AI strategy will be worth the wait.”¹³

Compounding the concern, Siri AI will initially launch only in English and will not be available at first in the EU or China due to regulatory hurdles, limiting Apple’s global reach just as the company seeks to challenge rival chatbots.¹⁴¹⁵

Whether Siri AI marks a true turning point or just a necessary catch-up, Apple has finally shipped the AI upgrade it has been promising—and postponing—for years.