Inc.
Apple has transformed Siri from a basic voice assistant into a capable AI chatbot that understands natural language, works seamlessly across Apple devices, and prioritises user privacy.
Apple Finally Fixed Siri—and It May Be Your New Favorite AI Tool
Author: Kit Eaton
Apple’s Siri is the OG personal AI assistant. It debuted so long ago that the entire class of these voice-activated systems has been renamed “chatbots.” Siri, which launched as an integrated service on Apple devices in 2011, was useful for basic hands-free stuff—it could set timers, add calendar entries for business meetings, tell you awful jokes, even play music on request. But despite being improved gradually through the years, it remained limited.
When ChatGPT arrived in 2022, Siri looked outdated overnight. Apple promised a dramatic revamp of Siri in 2024, but blundered through the process, earning Apple some rare media bruises when it was slammed for its failure to deliver. But now the new Siri—also known as Siri AI—has finally arrived, ready for public consumption.
And boy, was it worth the wait. For many tech-wary execs, it may even become the AI that you interact with most often.
What can Siri AI do?
Available on newer iPhones, Macs, and even Apple Watches, Siri is now a true chatbot like many others, but it makes the most of being integrated into Apple’s devices in ways that rivals like ChatGPT or Claude can’t beat. Apple’s own blurb explains that new Siri will be a “truly helpful AI that’s centered around you and your needs” because it’s “integrated into your apps, grounded in your context, and private at every step.”
It works across lots of different aspects of your phone or computer, so you can ask Siri to show you photos from a finance meeting in Berlin in one request, text your partner in the next, and finally ask it to create a summary of a document so you can quickly give your PR team some guidance. There’s no need to leap between apps manually—you can just activate Siri and make these kinds of requests whenever you need.
Reviewers have pointed out that though Siri is now comparable to market-leading AI chatbots like ChatGPT, it has some quirks. It may come across as a little more serious-sounding than ChatGPT, and you can’t interrupt its replies in the way that you may be used to with OpenAI’s product. You probably won’t rely on this general-purpose chatbot to write lots of high-end code for you either. Specialized AIs are still going to be better for developers.
Why should you use Siri more now?
Because Siri can now process natural language requests, you can task it with more sophisticated duties, including useful prompts like “set up a regular Monday meeting with Miriam and add it to the calendar.” You should also be able to ask it the kind of “why does X work the way it does?” questions that you may have asked of other AIs if you need to quickly learn something new. And because it’s built into Apple’s devices, you don’t even have to touch the keyboard or screen to get the chatbot’s attention—the classic “hey, Siri” request still works. That means the AI is just a second away anytime you need an answer or a quick digital task completed.
Essentially, Apple’s made Siri a hundred times more useful than it was before, both for home tasks and many workplace-centric duties.
Siri and privacy
This is where Apple’s devotion to user privacy may pay off. We’ve all read reports of how chatbots can leak sensitive information that users type into it, and noted the horrifying percentage of workers who blithely share confidential company secrets like financial reports with these third-party companies, not caring a bit about the legal ramifications. Companies like OpenAI and Anthropic also use your prompts to train their future models, and you may have let them do this without even being aware.
Apple promises Siri won’t do any of that. Much of the new Siri service works on your devices, so nothing gets sent off to a distant digital cloud. And when your AI queries do need this extra compute power, Apple handles it so that the cloud data isn’t kept or associated with you. Siri is “aware of your personal information without collecting your personal information,” Apple promises.
For many executives, this will be a key selling point. And for some companies, Apple’s privacy rules may allow use of Siri AI on company hardware in ways that have been banned or restricted for employees until now.
The reviews are good
Because Apple also places a premium on making its services simple and easy to use, MacWorld suggested that the new Siri is like “ChatGPT for people who hate AI.” The reviewer noted it was “dependable for quick questions, digging up personal data, and controlling your iPhone,” remarking that it was a little more simplified than more established chatbots.
A reviewer on tech news site The Verge explained that “Siri AI is already changing the way I use my iPhone,” noting that “it’s practically stopped me from opening my browser for most things, since it’s easier, faster, and more enjoyable” to engage with Siri, either by voice or by swiping down on the phone’s screen and typing in a query.
Even many commenters on Reddit, often a critical and snarky bunch, have been largely positive in a thread about the new Siri. One said: “It’s amazing. For everyday queries I haven’t touched the ChatGPT app in days.” Another wryly referenced some of the supply, trust, and pricing woes affecting rival chatbot makers by remarking: “Apple is the only company not in an AI crisis.”
Important things to remember about the new Siri
While Siri is now publicly available, it’s only as part of a beta OS release for Apple’s devices—and not all older devices can power the advanced services the new iOS and Mac software offers. You’ll also have to put up with the occasional bug while it’s still in testing. And while Siri AI is free, to access some of the more powerful cloud compute features you’ll need to subscribe to Apple’s services. There’s also a waiting list to activate Siri AI, but in my case, the waiting period was less than half an hour.
Interested in trying out the beta release on one of your devices?
Go to Settings on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, then General, and under the “Software Update” heading, find the options list and select “iOS 27 Public Beta” for your iPhone, “iPadOS 27 Public Beta” for your iPad, and “MacOS 27 Golden Gate Public Beta” for your Mac.
Credits: TCA, LLC.