Apple has long promised a revolution in its virtual assistant, and it seems the moment has finally arrived. The company has confirmed that it will hold a special event in Cupertino on September 9th where, in addition to the new iPhones, the definitive launch of [the new virtual assistant] is expected. Siri AI, the revamped version of the assistant powered by Apple IntelligenceThis new iteration comes after a 2024 where the launch of Apple Intelligence was somewhat rushed and left many users wanting more.
The idea isn't new, but the execution seems much more mature. Siri AI not only promises to answer questions, but to maintain two-way conversations and understand the context of what you have on your screenIt will no longer be just a voice assistant, but a companion capable of analyzing emails, messages, or web pages to offer proactive help. However, the company has decided to be cautious and not launch everything at once, which has generated some excitement and also some doubts among the more impatient users.
New features and functions of the new Siri
The new Siri AI arrives loaded with features that bring it closer to competitors like ChatGPT or Gemini. One of the most striking new features is its ability to understand screen contentIf you're viewing a message or email, you can ask it about it and it will give you a contextualized response. You can also ask it to create notes, send messages, or add appointments to your calendar without having to switch apps.
Another major improvement is in the voice. Apple has worked to ensure that Siri AI's voices will be much more expressive and natural.Users can adjust the level of expressiveness and pace, choosing between a more serious and professional tone or a more extroverted and friendly one. Speech comprehension has also been significantly improved, with dictation that automatically adds capitalization, punctuation, and formatting as you speak.
The integration with the ecosystem is complete. Siri AI will be available on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Furthermore, It will have its own dedicated app where you can view your conversation history, which will sync via iCloud. It will also be integrated into Spotlight and system context menus, making it much easier to access from anywhere.
Staggered release and arrival date
If you were expecting to have Siri AI right after updating, prepare for a slight disappointment. According to reports, Apple will keep the feature in experimental phase even after the public launch.Users will have to join a waiting list to test it in stages. This strategy allows the company to control the pace of adoption and ensure that the servers don't crash, something other companies with highly demanded AI features have already done.
The September 9th event will be key to learning all the details. The presentation of the new iPhone 18 Pro is expected to be the perfect stage to officially announce the availability date of iOS 27, which will arrive in September. Although the stable version of the operating system will be available to everyone, Access to Siri AI will be limited at firstand it will expand as time goes on.
The controversy with Europe and the investment in content
As happened with Apple Intelligence, Siri AI will not be available in the European Union initially.Apple has once again blamed European regulatory requirements, which it considers more stringent than those in the United States. Meanwhile, European users will have to wait to enjoy the new features, although the company assures that it is working to find a solution that preserves privacy and security.
For Siri AI to be truly useful, Apple needs up-to-date data. According to a Wall Street Journal report, The company has contacted news publishers to pay them for using their content.The budget would be around $100 million, with a pay-per-use model. This means that publishers will only receive money when Siri's AI uses their articles, a model similar to the one already used by Apple News+.
With all this, Apple seeks to make a splash in the field of artificial intelligence. The company has lagged behind its competitors, but with Siri AI it wants to demonstrate that its approach, focused on privacy and ecosystem integration, has much to offer. The wait has been long, but The new Siri promises to live up to expectations.However, it remains to be seen how it performs in day-to-day use and whether it manages to convince European users when it finally arrives.
