A new report suggests that Apple’s Siri virtual assistant is undergoing a major revamp with the integration of generative AI.
According to The New York Times, Apple is set to introduce generative AI to enhance its virtual assistant. The decision reportedly stemmed from two Apple executives extensively testing ChatGPT, leading to the realization that Siri was lagging behind in performance.
MacDailyNews Take: That they needed to extensively test ChatGPT to realize that freakin’ Siri is a laggard speaks volumes.
This move signifies a significant revamp for the Apple’s virtual assistant, which has faced criticism for its stagnant nature, frequent misunderstandings of spoken queries, and penchant for resorting to displaying webpages with loosely related information.
Tripp Mickle, Brian X. Chen, and Cade Metz for The New York Times:
Apple’s top software executives decided early last year that Siri, the company’s virtual assistant, needed a brain transplant.
The decision came after the executives Craig Federighi and John Giannandrea spent weeks testing OpenAI’s new chatbot, ChatGPT. The product’s use of generative artificial intelligence, which can write poetry, create computer code and answer complex questions, made Siri look antiquated, said two people familiar with the company’s work, who didn’t have permission to speak publicly.
MacDailyNews Take: Here on Planet Reality, everyone and their mom knew Siri was antiquated at least half a decade ago. Welcome to Reality, Craig and John!
BTW:
Apple pays and has been paying John Giannandrea, Senior Vice President of Machine Learning and AI Strategy, millions upon millions of dollars for years. WTF of any import does he really do? WTF of any import has he really delivered? Have you used Siri lately? Yup, it’s still a steaming pile of dogshit.
Where’s Apple’s generative AI, John? “Too hard; too late; look for partners; gimme my paycheck and stock options.” AAPL shareholders need to start asking real questions of these executives, especially those who are supposed in charge of Apple’s “AI Strategy,” when the company clearly has none. How about some accountability for once? – MacDailyNews, March 18, 2024
Mickle, Chen, and Metz continue:
The realization that new technology had leapfrogged Siri set in motion the tech giant’s most significant reorganization in more than a decade. Determined to catch up in the tech industry’s A.I. race, Apple has made generative A.I. a tent pole project — the company’s special, internal label that it uses to organize employees around once-in-a-decade initiatives.
Apple is expected to show off its A.I. work at its annual developers conference on June 10 when it releases an improved Siri that is more conversational and versatile, according to three people familiar with the company’s work, who didn’t have permission to speak publicly. Siri’s underlying technology will include a new generative A.I. system that will allow it to chat rather than respond to questions one at a time.
The update to Siri is at the forefront of a broader effort to embrace generative A.I. across Apple’s business. The company is also increasing the memory in this year’s iPhones to support its new Siri capabilities. And it has discussed licensing complementary A.I. models that power chatbots from several companies, including Google, Cohere, and OpenAI.
That sense of urgency contributed to Apple’s decision to cancel its other big bet — a $10 billion project to develop a self-driving car — and reassign hundreds of engineers to work on A.I.
MacDailyNews Take: Panic at the disco!
Mickle, Chen, and Metz continue:
[F]or the past decade, Apple has struggled to develop a comprehensive A.I. strategy, and Siri has not had major improvements since its introduction. The assistant’s struggles blunted the appeal of the company’s HomePod smart speaker because it couldn’t consistently perform simple tasks like fulfilling a song request…
Apple has also struggled to recruit and retain leading A.I. researchers. Over the years, it has acquired A.I. companies led by leaders in the field, but they all left after a few years.
MacDailyNews Take: ‘Tis a heavy cross to bear, always being right 😘, but we do it for you, dear readers!
As we explained in early April:
Apple was caught flat-footed, due to a lack of vision on the part of leadership. They were, uh, focused elsewhere. Apple’s traditional data center network is not fit for generative AI. It will take years and billions of dollars to catch up just to where GenAI leaders (OpenAI, Microsoft, Alphabet, etc.) are today.
So, the only solution is to partner with a [Google, OpenAI, Baidu, etc.] for the real GenAI stuff while pretending (marketing) really hard that some on-device AI Apple has whipped up in a few months is “insanely great Apple innovation” that’s at the heart of Apple’s 2024’s AI announcements when it’s really just an adjunct… Watch Apple make a big show of its on-device AI at WWDC and run many ads touting it from June onwards.
Apple hopes to buy time for the data center buildouts and investments that will be required for them to someday own their own AI technology and not have to license it from the likes of [Google, OpenAI, Baidu, etc.].
This is what happens after a decade plus with a caretaker CEO at the helm after he hits the last page of his iteration playbook, yet attempts to stay in the game for too long.
See also:
• Work on Apple Vision Pro began under Steve Jobs – August 23, 2023
• Contrary to popular belief, Steve Jobs knew about Apple Watch – February 13, 2023
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Siri is currently beyond useless. I tried to use to today while driving: “siri, navigate to [location].” It pulled up search results from the web for “navigate to [location].” Undeterred, I tried “siri, get directions to [location].” Same result. These queries used to work with 100% accuracy. Part of me is wondering if they are purposely degrading its performance so that when they give it a brAIn transplant, we’ll all “ooh” and “ahh” over its newfound abilities.
The less cynical explanation is that they have made siri less of a closed-universe tool, and that means it can’t always do things that it used to be able to do. However, there is no reason it should ever fail a straightforward task like “navigate to [location].”
“Hey Siri, don’t be such a HAL.”
Am awaiting a new improved…’woke’ feminist, Marxist take.
Boy has GOOGLE got a deal for you!!!
Siri disappoints me most days. Today I asked for a specific podcast and got Apple Music playing a song with one of the words from the podcast title in the name of the song.
After this WWDC I hope my Apple devices can learn all about me through my emails, files, contacts, web history etc and Siri becomes truly useful and handsfree.
We don’t need Siri to be a ChatGPT competitor. The main point of Siri is to be a digital assistant within Apple’s ecosystem. If it can also do stuff like summarize research or draft emails, great, but more than anything it needs to be able to “consistently perform simple tasks” related to our apps and HomeKit, which it can’t do now. As another commenter noted, queries that used to work 100% before don’t even work anymore.
Another thing to note is that Siri is all voice based, while ChatGPT and others are at their core text based (though voice is becoming a thing). Is the AI going to improve Siri’s voice recognition? What do LLMs have to do with Siri recognizing MY specific voice and MY specific requests, which are often the same and repeated every day, not random queries that require trillions of data points.
I get the sense that we’re going to get a weaker me-too SiriGPT and the stuff we’ve been hitting our heads against the wall over for a decade will not improve.
It’s hard to believe that today’s apple did not know of the obvious problems with siri.
It’s also hard to believe that apple could not find the talent to improve siri.
The answer for why siri was left to rot must be that today’s apple thought that it was more important to invest in new product categories.
All hands on deck elswhere to keep the investors happy.
It’s also worth wondering what apple’s relationship with google plays into this.
Apple would hate to lose the easy billions it receives from google.
Interesting point. We know Apple, Google, Microsoft and others have colluded in the past not to poach eachother’s employees. Apple has also left its productivity suite to rot and never seriously challenged Microsoft. The ongoing Google search deal could also be tied to keeping Siri stupid. Now they may be outsourcing AI to Google (and/or OpenAI). The big boys of Silicon Valley are more like an exclusive country club than they are competition to one another, similar to our two main political parties, pretending to be at odds.
Apple should retire the Siri name. Even if they “fix it” the product name is forever tainted.
It’s in the HockyPuc.me realm now…
I was thinking the same…no future association will be w/o residue. Press release suggestion for Apple:
“Siri decided to retire and decided to take a position at the Digital Derelicts Petting Zoo, where she just has to know her name and sound cute. She’s doing what she does best!”
Apple is focussing on the hype of AI, but it should deliver features which are relevant to customers. We don’t need AI we need a working digital assistant. Beginning with understanding my language, which it does not. So get the basics right before doing AI. And BTW first release the M4 27 inch iMac. Thank you.
Apple needs to fix the iOS cursor. Hellacious technology that has not improved since release (“16-17?). Almost never is it placed the 1st time where intended. While at it; why in the H does Apple Music play a song that I haven’t played for yrs when selecting Home Pod Airplay symbol for what’s currently playing on my iPhone?
There are SO MANY rudimentary task-based functions that seem like Windows in the DOS-remnant days. Apple needs a VP of APP & OS Refinement. No need for an extra hire…just move the Grand Emoji Creator to the slot.
Whatever. To me, Siri is like their goofy ass goggles. I am not in to barking at my computer any more than strapping on a goofy ass stupid goggles. Maybe they will do both … bark at your goggles to order a pizza. They are going to find out that their stupid goggles are flat unhealthy to use, in addition to looking like an utter moron wearing them.
Stupid Apple, as is the case nowadays.
Please, Apple, understand: Siri is permanently tainted. Siri should be knifed. It will indicate a clean break and that your next thing is something new, not merely an improvement.