News from the AI & ML world
DeeperML - #siri
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Josh Render@tomsguide.com
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Apple is reportedly undertaking a significant overhaul of Siri, rebuilding it from the ground up with a new AI-centric architecture. This move comes after earlier versions of Siri, which relied on AI, did not perform as desired, struggling to provide helpful and effective responses. Attempts to integrate AI capabilities into the older version only resulted in further complications for Apple, with employees noting that fixing one issue often led to additional problems. Recognizing their delayed start in the AI race compared to other tech companies, Apple is now aiming to create a smarter and more conversational Siri, potentially leveraging a large language model developed by its Zurich AI team.
In a notable shift, Apple is also considering opening its operating systems to allow iPhone users in the European Union to choose third-party AI assistants like ChatGPT or Gemini as their default option, effectively replacing Siri. This potential change is reportedly driven by regulatory pressures from the EU, which are pushing Apple to allow more flexibility in its ecosystem. If implemented, this move would align Apple more closely with competitors like Samsung and Google, who already offer more diverse AI options on their devices. The possibility of integrating external AI assistants could also provide Apple users with access to advanced AI features while the company continues to refine and improve its own Siri. However, Apple's AI strategy is also facing scrutiny on other fronts. The Trump administration previously raised national security concerns over Apple's potential AI deal with Alibaba, specifically regarding the integration of Alibaba's AI technology into iPhones sold in China. These concerns center around the potential implications for national security, data privacy, and the broader geopolitical landscape, given the Chinese government's regulations on data sharing and content control. While Apple aims to comply with local regulations and compete more effectively in the Chinese market through this partnership, the US government worries that it could inadvertently aid China's AI development and expose user data to potential risks. Recommended read:
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@www.theapplepost.com
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References:
Apple Must
, The Apple Post
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Apple is doubling down on its efforts to deliver top-tier AI capabilities, rallying its teams to "do whatever it takes" to make Apple Intelligence the best it can be. New leadership, including Craig Federighi and Mike Rockwell, have been brought in to revamp Siri and other AI features. The company is reportedly encouraging the use of open-source models, if necessary, signaling a shift in strategy to prioritize performance and innovation over strict adherence to in-house development. This renewed commitment comes after reports of internal conflict and confused decision-making within Apple's AI teams, suggesting a major course correction to meet its ambitious AI goals.
Apple is planning to release its delayed Apple Intelligence features this fall, including Personal Context, Onscreen Awareness, and deeper app integration, according to sources cited by The New York Times. The features were initially announced in March but were later postponed. Personal Context will allow Siri to understand and reference user emails, messages, files, and photos. Onscreen Awareness will enable Siri to respond to what’s currently on the screen, while Deeper App Integration will give Siri the power to perform complex, multi-step actions across apps without manual input. The push for enhanced AI follows reports of internal strife and shifting priorities within Apple's AI development teams. According to The Information, some potentially exciting projects were shelved in favor of smaller projects. Additionally, the impressive feature demo of contextual intelligence Apple showcased at WWDC "came as a surprise" to some Siri team members. Despite past challenges, Apple is determined to deliver on its AI vision, aiming to integrate advanced intelligence seamlessly into its products and services, potentially with the launch of iOS 19. Recommended read:
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@the-decoder.com
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References:
THE DECODER
, www.techradar.com
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Apple is facing challenges in its efforts to integrate advanced AI capabilities into Siri and the broader Apple Intelligence suite. Despite aiming to catch up with AI models like ChatGPT, the company has encountered technical setbacks, internal power struggles, and a divided management team. Originally slated for a summer 2024 release, key features like notification summarization were quickly disabled due to accuracy issues, and a planned Spring 2025 Siri upgrade was delayed after showing high error rates in internal testing.
In response to these setbacks, Apple has reorganized its AI leadership, with software chief Craig Federighi taking control, supported by Mike Rockwell. The company has also acknowledged delays, stating that it will take longer than initially anticipated to deliver on the promised features. Despite earlier uncertainties, the expectation is that the enhanced Siri capabilities, as part of the broader Apple Intelligence suite, will debut with the release of iOS 19 this fall. The revamped Siri aims to provide deeper app integrations, context understanding, and the ability to take action on behalf of users via voice commands. Apple plans to release a virtual assistant this fall capable of performing actions like editing and sending photos on request. While the ultimate goal is to bring Siri on par with AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini, the initial rollout may focus on select features, with further upgrades expected in the future. Recommended read:
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@computerworld.com
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Apple is facing significant internal challenges in its efforts to revamp Siri and integrate Apple Intelligence features. A new report has revealed epic dysfunction within the company, highlighting conflicts between managerial styles, shifting priorities, and a sense of being "second-class citizens" among Siri engineers. The issues stem, in part, from leadership differences, with some leaders favoring slow, incremental updates while others prefer a more brash and efficient approach. These conflicts have reportedly led to stalled projects and a lack of clear direction within the teams.
Despite these internal struggles, Apple intends to rollout the contextual Siri features it promised at WWDC 2024 this fall, potentially as part of iOS 19. The company has shifted senior leadership to ensure this happens. A key point of contention has been the integration of AI development efforts, with the software team led by Craig Federighi reportedly taking on more AI responsibilities and building within existing systems, which left the original Siri team feeling sidelined and slow to make progress. It remains unclear if the company can resolve these internal conflicts in time to deliver a seamless and improved Siri experience. Apple's AI teams have been instructed to "do whatever it takes" to build the best artificial intelligence features, even if that means using open-source models instead of Apple's own creations. This decision follows years of focus on the wrong things, internal conflict, and confused decision-making within the teams, according to the report. A spoken user interface for VisionOS that never got completed, despite being an exciting-sounding prospect, is just one example of shelved ideas in favor of projects with little impact. Despite the chaos the "tech bros got to work it out", says Jonny Evans in his column about Apple. Recommended read:
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Jonny Evans@Apple Must
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Apple is making significant changes to its AI strategy by replacing John Giannandrea with Mike Rockwell as the head of Siri development. CEO Tim Cook reportedly lost confidence in Giannandrea’s execution regarding product development. This decision highlights Apple’s urgent need to enhance Siri’s capabilities and improve its integration across Apple devices and services. The move was described by one insider as a measure to "sort Siri out," reflecting internal pressure to boost the AI assistant's performance.
Rockwell, celebrated for his role in developing the Vision Pro, is expected to bring a fresh perspective to Siri’s development. Two of Rockwell's top lieutenants, Kim Vorrath and Aimee Nugent, have already been moved into the Siri team. While Rockwell will oversee Siri and report to Craig Federighi, Giannandrea will remain at Apple, focusing on broader AI and robotics research and technologies. This reorganization, announced internally, signifies a strategic shift following discussions at Apple's annual leadership summit about the company’s AI future. Recommended read:
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Asma Hussain@iThinkDifferent
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Apple is facing significant difficulties with its AI assistant, Siri, leading to feature delays and internal frustration. According to reports, Apple's top Siri executive admitted in a meeting that the AI upgrade has been problematic, calling the delays "ugly and embarrassing." The executive also acknowledged that promoting features before they were ready worsened the situation. Despite these challenges, Apple aims to improve Siri and make it the "world's greatest" assistant.
The issues with Siri's AI upgrade have resulted in key enhancements being postponed, with some features possibly not appearing until the iOS 19 cycle or later. The premature showcasing of these capabilities at events like WWDC 2024 and in marketing campaigns for the iPhone 16 has added to the pressure. Although Apple is committed to enhancing Siri, quality issues remain a critical hurdle, raising concerns about the company's ability to compete in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. Recommended read:
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@Simon Willison's Weblog
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Apple is facing setbacks in its AI development, leading to delays in key features for Siri and Apple Intelligence. The enhanced version of Siri, promising a more personalized AI assistant experience, won't arrive until 2026, a pushback from its originally slated release with iOS 18. These delayed features are focused on enhancing Siri's context-awareness and capabilities, including scanning emails, messages, files, and photos to perform tasks across multiple apps, and understanding on-screen actions.
Apple's plan to replace Qualcomm modems with its in-house C1 chips is also facing hurdles, postponing the release of the mmWave-compatible C1 modem until 2026, potentially impacting the iPhone 17 lineup. This delay means the iPhone 17 series will continue using Qualcomm modems, as Apple grapples with technical challenges in perfecting mmWave integration. While the first-generation C1 modem offered improved power management, it faced inadequacy in supporting mmWave 5G. This setback impacts Apple's 5G independence and delays modem upgrades for iPhone users. Recommended read:
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