Siri Rumored to Take a Backseat at WWDC 2025

[MacRumors]

Apple is likely to keep discussion of Siri to a minimum at WWDC 2025 as it focuses on other Apple Intelligence enhancements, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Drake Bennett.

Apple will apparently focus on improving existing Apple Intelligence capabilities and adding some new ones, such as an AI-optimized battery management mode and a virtual health coach. Google Gemini is also on track to be added as a ChatGPT alternative for Siri in iOS 19.

Other upgrades to Siri, including the ones announced a year prior that include personal context and the ability to complete complex, multi-step actions, are "unlikely to be discussed much." The features are still "months away" from being released.

Apple is also reportedly planning to "separate the Apple Intelligence brand from Siri in its marketing," owing to concerns that users' negative experience with Siri is harming opinions about Apple Intelligence as a whole.

To help improve existing Apple Intelligence features, users' iPhones now apparently help improve Apple's synthetic data, the report explains. A set of artificial data is assessed and enhanced by comparing it to the language from users' iPhones to provide real-world reference points for AI training, without feeding in actual user information.

Similarly, in Texas, Spain, and Ireland, thousands of analysts are purportedly reviewing Apple Intelligence summaries for accuracy by comparing its output against the source material. The company wants to determine how often the system is producing the distorted or inaccurate responses.

Apple's WWDC 2025 keynote is scheduled for Monday, June 9, where the company will preview iOS 19, macOS 16, and other major software updates and features for its devices.

Article Link: Siri Rumored to Take a Backseat at WWDC 2025

 

[sniffies]

She's been a bad girl. Now she's grounded.

 

[germanbeer007]

Since when did Siri not take a backseat?

 

[arkitect]

Yeah… probably for the best.

"It's better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than open it and remove all doubt."

 

[turbineseaplane]

Similarly, in Texas, Spain, and Ireland, thousands of analysts are purportedly reviewing Apple Intelligence summaries for accuracy by comparing its output against the source material. The company wants to determine how often the system is producing the distorted or inaccurate responses.

Good to hear, but I do wonder what they'll do if they can't get it over a given accuracy threshold.

I'm assuming "not releasing it" is simply not an option for stock price reasons.

It's a real pickle.

 

[AppleFan91]

Been in the backseat since 2011 - this is the trunk, now.

 

[AppleFan91]

I don’t ask for much this WWDC from iOS. Just a keyboard with a number row and better autocorrect, split screen and a circle to search function. I’ve throw in towel for meaningful Siri upgrades

 

[iChan]

"Apple is likely keep..."

Looks like MR needs a copy editor.

 

[russell_314]

A backseat? She needs to be uninvited!

 

[Plerf]

It’s astonishing how much of a puppycluster Siri has been and now AI.

That Apple isn’t acquisition-ing their way out of this is puzzling.

They’ve got more money than Croesus; just buy the one you want and staple it onto your stuff. I’m sure that’s quite challenging but Siri has sucked from day one and this pig is already wearing as much lipstick as it can.

 

[neilw]

Siri is the one thing that everyone wants to hear about, or at least the one thing that everyone wants fixed. Not clear if people would believe anything they say about it at this point, though.

This AI battery management thing is interesting.... in that it sounds like something no one will care about at all. I don't see them magically extending battery life significantly.

There is going to be a Siri-shaped cloud over this WWDC, methinks.

 

[jayryco]

I think it's becoming increasingly clear that to build a cutting edge LLM and to keep up in this race, that Apple's data policies just won't let it compete. All these other frontier labs, whether they admit it or not, acquired and trained their models on data that obviously infringed upon copyright and other laws and Apple's reluctance to do this won't let Siri ever be as capable especially now that all the labs have moved into agentic space and Apple can't even do the basic GPT3/4 level of LLMs yet

 

[turbineseaplane]

Siri is the one thing that everyone wants to hear about... although not clear if people would believe anything they say about it at this point.

If they had some major enhancement to demo live for us, I think all would be onboard and excited.

Instead, I'm sure we're getting the usual cringe "mini motion picture" of hubris and ego, with some virtue signaling mixed in, and a lot of talk about "coming later this year".

 

[turbineseaplane]

I think it's becoming increasingly clear that to build a cutting edge LLM and to keep up in this race, that Apple's data policies just won't let it compete. All these other frontier labs, whether they admit it or not, acquired and trained their models on data that obviously infringed upon copyright and other laws and Apple's reluctance to do this won't let Siri ever be as capable especially now that all the labs have moved into agentic space and Apple can't even do the basic GPT3/4 level of LLMs yet

I agree this is likely.
They should say that and make folks understand the tradeoffs being made, especially if they are all in on their claimed policies and privacy ethics.

 

[Rogifan]

So is Gurman saying this based on specific things that have been leaked to him or is this just his opinion based on all the rumors flying around the past few months? He seems to do fine when he’s just relaying things he’s been told but less fine when pulling it all together to understand what it means.

 

[HouseLannister]

Google I/O tomorrow will be interesting. Gemini is already far ahead of Siri and if Pixel Sense is ready to launch with the Pixel 10 in August, it might slow iPhone 17 sales in September (not necessarily from switchers, but just media outlets piling on Apple with disappointment pieces). I'm already digging the Material 3 Expressive stuff they have shown off and looking for it all to come together as a 1-2 punch. Samsung has seemed to nail device controls with their hybrid Gemini/Bixby/whatever AI. Google will be next out of the gate. And Apple in 2026... maybe? What are going to be the iOS 19 features that go beyond the cosmetic? What are going to be the iPhone 17 features that go beyond an ugly camera module redesign?

 

[DBZmusicboy01]

Please let iOS 19 be the Snow Leopard of iOS. We really need it badly now.

 

[jayryco]

That Apple isn’t acquisition-ing their way out of this is puzzling.

They’ve got more money than Croesus; just buy the one you want and staple it onto your stuff. I’m sure that’s quite challenging but Siri has sucked from day one and this pig is already wearing as much lipstick as it can.

Best case for Apple is to purchase Anthropic as they align the best, but I'm not sure if that's even on the cards or being considered at all.
However a big Apple cash injection into Anthropic, as well as Apple's user base would really be big big big developments and what a wild curveball that would be.

 

[Bones402]

I don't know about y'all, but I turned that off from the get-go. Definitely increased another almost day out of my battery before charging as well.

 

[nt5672]

No surprise here, Siri has taken a back seat for the last 10 years. In my opinion AI software is just too steep of a hill for Apple to climb.

Also Cook has already taken the hit for Siri, but he is at least a year behind in his promises for AI, so he'll leave no stone unturned for AI at this WWDC. If he does not deliver, hopefully he is toast.

 

[AppliedMicro]

Vapourware taking a backseat.

 

[ericesque]

"Apple is likely keep..."

Looks like MR needs a copy editor.

Even Apple AI would probably have caught it.

 

[antiprotest]

Apple has been taking a backseat in the entire tech world recently.

 

[TVreporter]

Insert “Siri has taken a backseat for a decade” joke here

 

[Andreas from Zurich]

I have observed several times that the Siris living inside HomePods understand even less than the ones who call an iPad or a Mac their home. Have others experienced the same?