**Some Apple Engineers Are Concerned The Next-Generation Version Of Siri May Be Underwhelming**
The efficacy of Siri within the AI realm isn’t particularly a strong suit for Apple these days. Especially for a corporation that prides itself on software that “just works,” Siri far too frequently falls short. The positive aspect, however, is that Apple recognizes Siri’s limitations, particularly in comparison to competing AI software such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini.
Consequently, Apple has been diligently working to enhance Siri to increase its utility and responsiveness. The redesign of Siri, which was unveiled last October — featuring a radiant glow along the edges — marked a hopeful beginning. Yet, it cannot be denied that Siri still requires substantial improvement. That said, Apple has been hinting at a completely overhauled version of Siri set to launch early next year.
During an earnings conference call a few months back, Apple CEO Tim Cook stated that the company is “making good strides on a more personalized Siri.” Furthermore, reports suggest that the software will be made available to the public in March 2026 alongside the release of iOS 26.4. That is the good news. The downside is that some Apple engineers are reportedly worried that the Siri update in iOS 26.4 may not meet expectations, meaning it may not enhance functionality to the necessary degree.
**Some Apple engineers are tentatively hopeful about next-gen Siri**
As reported by Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, an exodus of key Apple AI engineers might occur if the new version of Siri fails to meet anticipations. “I firmly believe that there will be more senior members of the company’s AI division exiting soon, especially if the new Siri arrives in the spring and underperforms,” Gurman writes. “Already, there are apprehensions from individuals testing iOS 26.4 — the OS version expected to introduce the new Siri — regarding the assistant’s performance.”
That’s not very encouraging, particularly considering that Gurman’s insights regarding forthcoming Apple software are typically quite accurate. While it’s highly unlikely that the next version of Siri will instantaneously become the AI software to overcome, Apple must be confident it can introduce sufficient enhancements to prove it remains a key competitor in the AI landscape.
**Is Tim Cook’s confidence in AI justified?**
It’s important to highlight that Tim Cook sees Apple as still having the opportunity to catch up with the competition. During a recent earnings conference call, Cook mentioned that Apple has historically entered markets relatively late, only to later dominate them.
“We’ve rarely been first,” Cook informed company employees last August. “There was a PC prior to the Mac; there was a smartphone before the iPhone; many tablets existed before the iPad; an MP3 player came before the iPod. Yet Apple created the modern versions of these product categories. This is how I perceive AI.”
Cook is certainly correct regarding the iPod and iPhone, but the AI arena is somewhat distinct. To begin with, Apple was able to use its hardware expertise to outpace rival MP3 player and smartphone manufacturers in the early 2000s. However, no such edge exists in the AI field since specialized AI hardware isn’t the battleground, although renowned Apple designer Jony Ive is allegedly collaborating on hardware-based AI products with OpenAI. Secondly, and perhaps more crucially, the competition Apple faces in the AI domain is far more advanced, aggressive, and agile than the sluggish rivals Apple encountered during the iPod and early iPhone phases.
**Apple’s AI team is facing talent attrition**
Apple’s ambition to make a significant impact in the AI sector is presently being impeded by aggressive talent acquisition from Meta. In recent months, Apple has seen several of its leading AI engineers and researchers depart for enticing job offers from Meta. Notably, some of these engineers played highly significant roles in creating new Siri functionalities. For example, Meta recently recruited Ke Yang, a skilled engineer who previously led Apple’s “Answers, Knowledge, and Information” group — a core team focused on transforming Siri into a more conversational chatbot.
Apple undoubtedly possesses vast resources to allocate towards AI development, but to genuinely enhance Siri in a substantial manner, the company must improve its retention of top engineers. In the meantime, all attention will be on Apple come March 2026 when it unveils a revamped version of Siri.
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