CUPERTINO, USA – Apple on Monday, June 8, 2026, rolled out a long-delayed overhaul of Siri at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), betting the upgraded assistant can help close the gap with Big Tech rivals and new-age startups in the crucial AI race.
The revamp includes integration with large language models (LLMs) to improve natural language understanding and task completion, according to Apple's announcement. The updated Siri will be available in beta for developers starting June 8, with a public release expected later this year alongside iOS 20, iPadOS 20, and macOS 17.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said during the keynote that the new Siri represents "the most significant update to Siri since its introduction in 2011." The assistant will now be able to handle more complex queries, such as summarizing emails, editing photos, and controlling third-party apps more seamlessly.
The move comes as Apple faces increasing pressure from competitors like Google's Gemini, Microsoft's Copilot, and OpenAI's ChatGPT, which have rapidly advanced their AI capabilities. Apple has been criticized for falling behind in the AI race, with Siri often lagging in accuracy and functionality.
Analysts note that while the update is a step forward, Apple still faces challenges in catching up with rivals who have invested heavily in AI for years. The company emphasized privacy, stating that many Siri tasks will be processed on-device to protect user data.
