Apple’s Siri overhaul faces delays due to engineering challenges

Apple Inc.’s long-promised overhaul for the Siri digital assistant is facing engineering problems and software bugs, threatening to postpone or limit its release, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

The company first unveiled plans for a new AI-infused Siri at its developers conference last June and has even advertised some of the features to customers. But Apple is still racing to finish the software, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the situation is private. Some features, originally planned for April, may have to be postponed until May or later, they said.

The Siri makeover is a centerpiece of the Apple Intelligence platform, the company’s effort to catch up in AI and spur iPhone upgrades. Even before the Siri snags, Apple Intelligence has had a bumpy rollout. The software has been released in stages since an October debut, and some features — such as news summaries — have drawn criticism for glitches.

Getting Siri right is especially crucial for Apple, which first introduced the digital assistant in 2011 as a groundbreaking interface. After falling behind competitors, the technology has come to represent the company’s shortcomings in artificial intelligence.

The latest Siri developments are separate from the company’s push to add AI features to devices in China. In that effort, Apple is working with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Baidu Inc. to create a system that passes muster with Chinese regulators, Bloomberg News reported Thursday.

A spokesperson for Cupertino, California-based company declined to comment on the Siri project.

Last June, Apple touted three major enhancements coming to Siri:

• the ability to tap into a customer’s data to better answer queries and take actions.
• a new system that would let the assistant more precisely control apps.
• the capability to see what’s currently on a device’s screen and use that context to better serve users.

At the time, Apple hinted that the changes wouldn’t be released until 2025, but it wasn’t yet clear how long they would take to arrive. Internally, the company has been planning to introduce the technology as part of iOS 18.4, the version of its mobile operating system coming in April.

But now Apple is considering delaying or limiting at least some of the overhaul until iOS 18.5, which will be released as early as May, the people said.

The goal is to ultimately offer a more versatile Siri that can seamlessly tap into customers’ information and communication. For instance, users will be able to ask for a file or song that they discussed with a friend over text. Siri would then automatically retrieve that item. Apple also has demonstrated the ability for Siri to quickly locate someone’s driver’s license number by reviewing their photos.

In one especially compelling part of the demonstration, a presenter used Siri to quickly locate her mom’s flight and lunch reservation plans by searching across email and text message history. Now this very feature is one at risk of being delayed, according to the people.

Inside Apple, many employees testing the new Siri have found that these features don’t yet work consistently. And it’s nearing crunch time for the software to be ready. Though iOS 18.4 won’t be released publicly until April, the beta version for developers is expected to debut as early as next week.

Another option on the table is including the features in the April release but having them turned off by default. In that scenario, Apple could then enable them automatically in the iOS 18.5 update.

Apple has discussed doing this with the personal data feature, as well as the tools for letting Siri more precisely control apps and device functions. But that could ultimately affect other Apple products.

The control enhancements — an upgraded version of something called App Intents — are central to the operation of the company’s upcoming smart home hub. That product, an AI device for controlling smart home appliances and FaceTime, is slated for release later this year.

Despite a marketing blitz for Apple Intelligence, the company is struggling internally with a difficult reality: The AI platform is behind rival systems like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Alphabet Inc.’s Google Gemini and Meta Platforms Inc.’s Llama. The company’s AI and machine-learning team has struggled to meet deadlines, the people said, and some engineers believe the system was rushed to market to appease an AI-obsessed Wall Street. Bloomberg