Apple’s Siri Upgrade Faces Delays Amid Internal Struggles and Legal Trouble
Apple’s much-anticipated overhaul of Siri, showcased during the WWDC 2024 event in June, is now facing significant delays reportedly until 2027. The upgraded voice assistant was supposed to debut alongside the iPhone 16 series with two key features: a more conversational interface and deep integration with ChatGPT. However, months after the event, users are still waiting, and frustration is mounting. A new report sheds light on what’s really causing the holdup.
According to The Information, Apple’s delay in rolling out advanced Siri and Apple Intelligence features stems from a combination of technical, organizational, and leadership issues. The report, based on interviews with current and former Apple employees, highlights internal dysfunction within Apple’s AI and machine-learning division, known as AI/ML.
While Apple has long prided itself on its strict privacy standards—often limiting the scope of data its systems can use to improve AI capabilities—this very commitment is now being seen as a key reason for the slow progress. Building a generative AI-powered Siri while protecting user privacy presents a challenging balancing act.
However, privacy concerns aren’t the only roadblock. The report sharply criticizes the leadership of the AI/ML group, led by John Giannandrea and specifically points fingers at Robby Walker, a senior leader within the team. Sources describe Walker as lacking ambition and a willingness to take risks—traits crucial for pushing the boundaries of AI innovation. Some insiders even mockingly refer to the division as “AIMLess,” a play on the AI/ML acronym, reflecting the widespread dissatisfaction within Apple’s own ranks.
This leadership crisis and cautious culture have left Apple trailing competitors like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI, all of whom have rapidly advanced their generative AI offerings in the past year.
To make matters worse, Apple is now facing lawsuits in the U.S. and Canada over the delay. In a recent class-action lawsuit filed in California, two plaintiffs allege that Apple misled consumers by marketing Siri’s AI upgrades as available at launch, prompting them to buy the iPhone 16 under false pretenses. A similar lawsuit was filed in Canada, accusing Apple of falsely advertising features to boost sales.
Both lawsuits argue that Apple’s marketing was “false and misleading,” creating hype for features that have yet to arrive—potentially pushing millions to upgrade unnecessarily.
With legal troubles mounting and internal dissatisfaction growing, Apple now finds itself under pressure to not only deliver the promised Siri upgrades but also rebuild consumer trust in the process.
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