(April 1): Apple Inc is testing a feature that would let Siri process multiple requests in a single query, according to people familiar with the matter, breaking new ground for the nearly 15-year-old digital assistant.
The company is developing the capability as part of the iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27 operating systems due later this year, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the work is private. The move would bring Siri closer to the abilities of newer artificial intelligence (AI) assistants.
The feature would let users combine requests — for example, asking Siri to check the weather, create a calendar appointment and send a message — all within a single prompt. Siri currently requires users to make requests individually, making it a laggard in the AI space.
The work is part of a broader effort to overhaul and modernize Siri, which was first introduced in October 2011. Apple is aiming to turn the assistant into a more capable tool that can understand context, such as users’ personal information and what’s on their screen.
The company is poised to unveil the new Siri and other Apple Intelligence features at its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 8. It’s been a long time coming. Apple first demonstrated a new, more AI-infused Siri in June 2024 — before delaying its arrival multiple times due to engineering snags. The software is now on track for a release this fall, Bloomberg News has reported.
A spokesperson for the Cupertino, California-based company declined to comment.
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As part of the changes, Apple is making Siri operate more like a chatbot and launching a standalone app for the assistant. The iPhone maker also is planning to allow the next version to access and summarize information from the web in an effort internally known as World Knowledge Answers.
The latest development would streamline Siri interactions and potentially encourage customers to use it more as a time-saver. The assistant currently supports follow-up requests without requiring users to repeat the wake word — “Siri” or “Hey Siri” — but each action still needs to be handled separately.
The ability to process multiple requests in a single query has become standard among modern AI assistants powered by large language models, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. And Google’s voice assistant could handle such tasks dating back to the last decade.
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The capability is also pivotal to more advanced Siri upgrades in development, including features that rely on personal context and deeper app integration. It will let the assistant do things like retrieve a photo, edit it and send it to a contact in one command.
Separately, Apple has explored an updated system keyboard that expands autocorrect by offering alternative words, the people said. It uses an approach that’s similar to tools like Grammarly.
A final decision on releasing the keyboard tool hasn’t been made. The company improved its keyboard algorithms in iOS in recent days, aiming to provide a better autocorrect experience.
Apple is also developing an update to the Siri Extensions function that will let the assistant tap into third-party services installed through the App Store, Bloomberg News reported last week. This goes beyond the current chatbot partnership with ChatGPT.
In internal testing, some of the new Siri capabilities are labelled as “Preview,” suggesting Apple may position them as unfinished at launch.
Apple Intelligence debuted in 2024 in beta form — the final stage of testing before software is formally released to customers. Siri itself was first introduced as a beta test, a phase that ended in 2013.
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