For many teenagers, avoiding questions is a common behavior, but few provoke the same level of frustration as Siri, Apple’s voice assistant that has been around for over a decade. Users across various platforms have taken to forums, including Reddit, to voice their grievances. “Has Siri been getting worse for anyone else?” one frustrated iPhone user inquired, while another lamented, “It’s worse than when it was first introduced.” The sentiment escalates to outright disdain with a post stating, “I actually hate Siri with everything inside of me.” Such emotions are rarely directed towards software, yet the widespread dissatisfaction indicates a significant issue for Apple.
Installed on more than 2 billion Apple devices, Siri is one of the most ubiquitous software applications globally. However, for countless users, the virtual assistant has become an unwelcome annoyance rather than a helpful aide. In recent weeks, Apple’s Siri crisis has escalated, leading to a considerable backlash against the tech giant. Earlier this month, Apple announced a delay in a long-anticipated overhaul of Siri, pushing back the planned rewrite indefinitely, a move described internally as “ugly and embarrassing.” This setback resulted in Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, removing John Giannandrea from his role overseeing Siri after reportedly losing faith in his capabilities.
Delays and bugs are not typical for Apple, a company known for its seamless integration of hardware and software. As the tech industry witnesses the rise of advanced AI chatbots, like ChatGPT, Apple’s delays reflect poorly on the company. While Silicon Valley anticipates the arrival of artificial general intelligence (AGI), Siri's inability to even set a timer becomes glaringly apparent. The contrast between interacting with Siri and the sophisticated AI portrayed in the film Her is stark. Users frequently report that Siri struggles with basic commands, from setting alarms to playing music, and in one viral incident, asking, “What month is it?” prompted responses ranging from “Sorry, I don’t understand” to “It is 2025.”
“Siri has been Apple’s albatross for quite a while now,” states Dipanjan Chatterjee, an analyst at Forrester. He notes that while Siri once stood out against competitors like Alexa and Google Assistant, the emergence of new generation AI chatbots has left Siri with no room for error. Apple’s struggles with Siri are not expected to significantly impact iPhone sales, the company’s primary revenue stream. However, investor concerns about Apple falling behind in AI development indicate a larger problem as the tech world enters a new technological gold rush.
When Apple introduced Siri in October 2011, just a day before Steve Jobs' death, it was lauded for its innovative capabilities, such as responding to weather inquiries and scheduling meetings. But after Scott Forstall, the software chief at the time, was ousted due to the disastrous launch of Apple Maps, Siri's development has been stagnant at best. In 2017, executive Eddy Cue acknowledged the ongoing challenges, remarking that the software's piecemeal development had led to bugs and inconsistencies.
In 2018, Apple sought to revitalize Siri by hiring Giannandrea from Google, aiming to enhance Siri’s capabilities. However, the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022 underscored Siri’s shortcomings once again. Concerns arose that Apple’s privacy-first approach would hinder its ability to compete with chatbots that utilize extensive data analysis. In response, Apple announced a comprehensive overhaul of Siri, branded as “Apple Intelligence,” promising features that would allow for a more personalized experience. The anticipated updates would enable Siri to utilize data from texts, emails, and other apps to provide real-time answers.
Months have passed without any updates on the new version of Siri, prompting Apple to retract several existing AI features. Recently, the company suspended a new feature intended to summarize news headlines after receiving complaints from major organizations. In light of ongoing delays, Apple acknowledged that the rollout of the Siri overhaul would take longer than expected.
Reports indicate that Apple executives labeled the delays as “embarrassing” and attributed the premature promotion of features to the marketing team. Following this, Giannandrea was reportedly sidelined, with Mike Rockwell, head of the Vision Pro headset, taking over Siri's management. The fallout from these missteps has led to criticism from long-time Apple observers, and the company now faces a false advertising lawsuit from customers claiming that they purchased new iPhones under the belief that they would receive updated Siri features.
While analysts like Chatterjee note that there is no immediate cause for panic, concerns linger about the company’s ability to navigate its current challenges. The recent setbacks have dimmed hopes for an upgrade “super cycle” that could boost sales. Apple has a loyal customer base, but the ongoing issues with Siri, coupled with other failed initiatives like the electric car project and underwhelming Vision Pro headset, suggest that the company needs to reassess its strategies. As Benedict Evans, a tech analyst, quipped, Siri's shortcomings may reflect a broader trend of poor execution, drawing parallels to the infamous launch of Windows Vista nearly two decades ago. Addressing these challenges will likely require significant introspection and innovation, yet it appears that Siri will not be of much help in answering the question: “When will you be smarter?”
