Last week, in what has become a classic Friday news dump, Apple made a deeply embarrassing announcement regarding its voice assistant, Siri. The tech giant revealed plans to delay the much-anticipated infusion of artificial intelligence-powered capabilities into Siri. This setback not only led to a significant drop in Apple’s stock price but also had a profound impact on the morale of the team working on Siri.
According to a recent report from Bloomberg, the news has caused a decline in morale within the Siri division. Robby Walker, a senior director in this team, held an all-hands meeting to address the situation. During this meeting, he candidly acknowledged that the circumstances were far from ideal. Walker recognized that many team members might be feeling a mix of anger, embarrassment, and burnout due to the announcement. He reportedly stated, “You might have co-workers or friends or family asking you what happened, and it doesn’t feel good.”
Adding to the discomfort, it appears that Apple’s marketing department has left the Siri team in a precarious position. Last year, the company launched advertisements promoting the new features expected to be integrated into Siri, with promises that these enhancements would be available by June of this year. These features were part of a broader suite of offerings under the umbrella of Apple Intelligence, which was one of the key selling points for the iPhone 16. However, with the recent announcement, these enhancements are now indefinitely postponed, leaving both consumers and the development team in limbo.
Walker further informed the team that while Apple hopes to roll out the new intelligence features alongside the launch of iOS 19—expected to be available this summer—there is no guarantee that these features will be delivered on time. Currently, reports indicate that the in-progress Siri feature is only functioning as intended between 66% to 80% of the time. This performance level is not only considered insufficient but also aligns with many users' experiences with Siri, which has often faced criticism for its reliability.
While missing a deadline is undoubtedly a painful and embarrassing situation for the Siri team, there may be some solace in the fact that many iPhone users may not be eagerly awaiting these promised features. A survey conducted in December 2024 by trade journal SellCell revealed that 73% of iPhone owners found Apple’s new AI features to add “little to no value.” This statistic suggests that the urgency surrounding Siri's AI capabilities may not be as significant to the average consumer as it is to Apple.
In conclusion, Apple’s decision to delay the integration of artificial intelligence into Siri has sparked a wave of disappointment within the company and among its users. As the Siri team navigates this challenging period, only time will tell how the company will address these issues and what the future holds for its voice assistant.
