Apple unveiled the next generation of Siri on Monday as part of its iOS 27 update, positioning the assistant as a true “do engine” that can act on information from a user’s iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and other devices. The overhaul follows years of criticism that Apple lagged behind rivals such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini.
Founders’ original vision resurfaces
Dag Kittlaus and Adam Cheyer, who co‑created Siri in 2007 while at the Stanford Research Institute, first described the concept as a “do engine” – a tool that does more than retrieve web pages. “If you want to find a web page, go to a search engine like Google,” Cheyer told CNN. “If you want to get something done, go to a ‘do engine: Siri.’” Although they left Apple shortly after the company bought Siri for over $200 million, both say Apple’s massive App Store ecosystem, its hardware reach, and its strong privacy stance could finally bring that vision to life.
What’s new in Siri AI?
The rebuilt assistant can read what’s on a device’s screen, launch apps, and pull data from calendars, messages and other native apps to answer personal questions. In a CNN beta test, Siri identified an upcoming dentist appointment from a text, fetched details about a music band mentioned in a message, and saved a recipe sent via Instagram for later retrieval.
Apple also highlighted its Private Cloud Compute system, which processes demanding AI tasks on secure servers while sending only the data needed for a specific request. The company has extended this architecture to Google Cloud, where it leverages Google’s Gemini model for certain features.
Industry context and competition
Big‑tech firms have chased a consumer‑focused AI assistant for more than a decade, but technical hurdles kept early versions limited to setting alarms, playing music or controlling smart‑home devices. Large language models now enable assistants to understand broader commands, execute multi‑step tasks and act across apps without the user opening each one.
Google, which powers Android, already offers on‑screen analysis and suggestions, while Microsoft’s Copilot and Amazon’s Alexa continue to expand their capabilities. Apple hopes its privacy‑first approach will differentiate Siri, reassuring users that personal data stays protected.
Potential impact on app developers
Both Kittlaus and Cheyer warned that deeper AI integration could reduce traffic to third‑party apps such as Uber, Amazon, OpenTable or Airbnb, as users might complete purchases or bookings directly through Siri. “Any major app would be reluctant to let Apple rewrite the user flow for how consumers interact with their service,” Kittlaus said.
Apple claims Siri AI already works with more than 300,000 apps, a fraction of the over two million apps available in the App Store a decade ago. The company acknowledges that expanding support will be an ongoing effort.
Looking ahead
While the new Siri still has a way to go before fully realizing the founders’ “do engine” dream, the rollout marks a significant step toward a more capable, privacy‑aware AI assistant. As Apple continues to refine the technology, users can expect more seamless, multi‑app interactions that keep personal data under their control.
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
