Apple is delaying Siri’s AI upgrade

Apple (AAPL+1.22%) is delaying a much-anticipated AI upgrade of its voice assistant Siri.

Reports about a new Siri — one that’s based on advanced large language models — first emerged last year, teasing enhancements such as fluid conversations and the ability to carry out complex requests, like performing actions across several apps.

Although an arrival date for the so-called “LLM Siri” upgrade was never publicly set, reports said Apple planned to unveil the new Siri in the iOS 18.4 upgrade sometime in April.

However, Apple now expects to release its AI-infused Siri “in the coming year,” according to Bloomberg. Apple didn’t immediately respond to Quartz’s request for comment on the matter, but the company told Bloomberg that its update is “going to take us longer than we thought.”

Apple is working on integrating advanced AI technology into its products as part of its Apple Intelligence initiative, which the company introduced last June at its annual developer conference, WWDC.

Some say the tech giant is lagging in scaling its AI capabilities, falling behind industry rivals such as OpenAI and Amazon (AMZN-1.15%), the latter of which announced an AI-enhanced version of its personal assistant Alexa last month.

But some analysts believe this is entirely “on-brand” when it comes to Apple’s approach to new technology. After all, Apple was not the first company to make smartphones or smartwatches, but ultimately iPhones and Apple Watches became dominant products in their respective markets.