Apple Delays Siri Upgrade, Pushing Smart Display Release by Year

Apple Inc. has postponed a significant upgrade to its voice assistant, Siri, this year, which has sparked concerns about the company's progress in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector and has led to internal calls for reform. The most substantial setback, however, is not the highly anticipated feature that allows Siri to extract personal data from messages, emails, and photos to complete complex tasks. Instead, the true breakthrough lies in the enhanced App Intents system, which enables Siri to fully control both third-party and Apple's own applications through voice commands alone. This advancement aims to realize the vision of "no manual operation" that Apple initially promoted when it launched Siri nearly 15 years ago.

If successful, this upgrade will lay the groundwork for future hardware products, including the anticipated smart display and even desktop robots. The delay in the App Intents functionality has pushed back the release of the smart display by a year. Apple's global data operations team is currently prioritizing testing, with plans for a spring release alongside a broader upgrade to Siri's infrastructure. Early testing is limited to a select group of applications, including Uber, Amazon, YouTube, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Apple's own software. Sensitive categories such as banking and healthcare are subject to stricter limitations and may be excluded entirely.

The key challenge is ensuring that Siri can accurately execute tasks across various applications, especially for high-risk activities. While minor errors in weather queries may be inconsequential, mistakes in financial transactions could have catastrophic consequences. Apple's cautious approach reflects the risks and potential of creating a new voice interaction interface for its ecosystem. If successful, this initiative could significantly enhance the user experience, providing a more seamless and intuitive interaction with Siri.