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Ok, I’m going to ask this question, even though I already know the answer. When was the last time you used Siri for something critical? I thought so. It’s been around for a while, but it hasn’t necessarily been useful. That may change soon.
Apparently, Apple is building a new version of Siri from scratch, and if the description in this first-look article is accurate, it’s going to make Siri a lot more useful. Not just with information queries, but with tasks that involve multiple apps.
The concept is pretty straightforward. Instead of opening up a bunch of different apps, you simply ask Siri, and she does it. Want to send a text?
Ask Siri. Set a reminder? Ask Siri. Manage your files? Ask Siri. Even plan out your day? Ask Siri. Nice, huh? Except that we’ve heard this all before, so we should remain a bit skeptical.
It’s not coincidental. AI is having a moment. The proliferation of products like ChatGPT has raised consumer expectations for digital assistants. We’re now accustomed to conversational AI, to AI that can tell us things and even help us at work. Siri, by comparison, feels a little quaint.
Everyone else is moving ahead too. Microsoft is integrating AI in its software with Copilot in Word, Excel, and beyond. So for Apple to double down on it now? It feels like playing catch-up, but doing it its own way.
Apple is emphasizing privacy too. And that’s relevant. With all the debate about how the tech giants are approaching AI, see for instance, the recent debate over AI and data ownership, users are more and more concerned about data stewardship.
If Apple can make its AI assistant more intelligent while keeping data private, it will be a major differentiator.
But still, you have to ask yourself: will it actually work? A more intelligent Siri is terrific, but it has to be accurate. If it continues to mess up, or fail to understand you, it won’t be used.
But hey, maybe this will be the update that shifts the way we interact with our handsets. Maybe Siri will transition from a feature we hardly use… to one we can’t do without. Or, maybe we’ll be saying, “No, that’s not what I meant” for the next five years.
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