It is no secret that Apple has been struggling with introducing AI upgrades to Siri, with performance issues leading to delays in the launch of these upgrades. Despite the hurdles the company is facing, however, Apple is intent on pushing its digital assistant as a true competitor to OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
A report by Bloomberg revealed that the tech giant is currently testing its chatbot version of Siri, which is allegedly showing a lot of promise. Citing Apple employees, this upcoming new version of Siri has shown significant improvements in its capabilities over the past six months, with some executives even viewing it as already “on par” with recent iterations of ChatGPT.
The Bloomberg report also noted that Apple currently has AI offices set up in Zurich to develop a new software architecture for Siri. The “monolithic model” will eventually replace the current “hybrid” architecture, and is entirely built on an LLM engine. Rebuilding Siri from the ground up should theoretically resolve the integration issues that resulted in the delays.
The new model will improve Siri’s ability to synthesise information and make the digital assistant more conversational. Additionally, the company is considering allowing Siri to access the internet so it can gather information from various sources, much like what ChatGPT already does.
That said though, the new Siri is still quite a ways from making its way to Apple devices. The company will reportedly focus more on bringing new Apple Intelligence features to the next version of iOS. Furthermore, Apple has decided to refrain from announcing features sooner than a few months before their official release, likely to avoid promising more than it can realistically deliver.
(Source: Bloomberg)
