Siri’s Decline and the Rise of AI
Okay, I’m late to the party. The Siri hate party, that is. But in my defense, the complaints have become increasingly valid. Siri’s performance has noticeably deteriorated. It used to correctly answer basic questions, only to start failing on tasks that should be simple. It’s not just a slow decline; the expectations for a voice assistant are rising rapidly.
While we wait for a possible Siri upgrade, perhaps with Apple Intelligence next year, it feels like we’re all stuck taking the stairs to the top of a building while the elevator is stuck. Siri’s shortcomings are becoming more apparent. A voice assistant that overcomes Siri’s failings would warrant a new name. It might even necessitate a new provider. Compared to its early days, when it debuted on the iPhone 4S in October 2011, Siri appears to have slipped.
A Call for Change
In the past, calls to discard Siri made me roll my eyes. What would replace it? Voice commands are essential features of Apple devices. However, that can be done without Siri. Drastic steps are needed to address Siri’s issues. Apple should start by discontinuing the Siri brand, putting it in maintenance mode, and removing features with high failure rates. The remaining features should be rebranded as “Voice Control.” This would mean, keeping the wake word the same but considering less personified alternatives.
The challenge for Siri has always been vast. Adding AI could multiply failure points. Apple should define its Apple Intelligence brand based on what has shipped, choosing three pillars: Writing Tools: autocorrect for your ideas, Notification Summaries: what you need to know, and Generate: tools as creative as you.
Apple should also allow AI voice assistants like ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode, Google Gemini, Amazon’s upcoming Alexa+, and Perplexity’s voice mode to have more system integration. This would enable them to be invoked without unlocking the device via Voice Control and through accessories like AirPods and Apple Watch.
The Future of AI and Apple
Apple should stick to its strengths as a platform provider and hardware creator. AI-first hardware could make the iPhone seem like a great camera with a nice design and silicon that lags behind on system-level AI features. Someone might prefer an Android phone with deep ChatGPT integration.
We should soon find out which features will arrive in iOS 18.4 beta. WWDC 2025 is less than four months away. Siri should be the best voice assistant available on the iPhone. If Siri can’t keep up, support for changing the default voice assistant will be necessary, allowing competing voice assistants to integrate into iOS. Standalone AI devices would then have a reason to exist. Blue iMessage bubbles might not be enough in time.
This is a critical moment for Apple to leverage AI successfully.
