Siri's AI Glow-Up Why Apple Had to Scrap the First Attempt

Apple Admits First AI Siri Attempt Fell Short of Expectations

Apple has long been synonymous with innovation and high-quality products. However, even tech giants face challenges, and sometimes, ambitious projects require a bit more time in the oven. Recently, Apple's SVP of Software, Craig Federighi, and SVP of Worldwide Marketing, Greg Joswiak, shed light on the company's decision to delay the upgraded Siri, acknowledging that their initial AI-powered iteration simply wasn't up to par.

In a candid interview with The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern at WWDC 2024, Federighi explained that while the enhanced Siri, showcased as part of Apple Intelligence, promised a deeper understanding of personal context and the ability to perform actions within apps, it didn't quite meet Apple's stringent quality standards.

"Siri didn’t converge in the way, quality-wise, that we needed it to," Federighi admitted. The core issue? Reliability. Apple aimed for an assistant that was "really, really reliable," but the team couldn't achieve the desired level of dependability within the initial timeline.

Joswiak echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of delivering a polished and trustworthy experience to Apple customers.

"Look, we don’t want to disappoint customers," Joswiak stated. "We never do. But it would’ve been more disappointing to ship something that didn’t hit our quality standard, that had an error rate that we felt was unacceptable. So we made what we thought was the best decision. I’d make it again."

Stern's pointed question – why Apple, with its vast resources, couldn't make it work – prompted a revealing response from Federighi. He acknowledged the inherent difficulty in automating tasks reliably on devices.

"When it comes to automating capabilities on devices in a reliable way, no one’s doing it really well right now," Federighi explained. "We wanted to be the first. We wanted to do it best."

The journey wasn't without its promising moments. Federighi noted that the team achieved "very promising early results and working initial versions." However, the ultimate realization was that the technology "just doesn’t work reliably enough to be an Apple product."

The key takeaways from this announcement are:

• Apple prioritized quality over speed. The company chose to delay the release rather than compromise on its high standards.
• Reliability is a major challenge in AI assistant development. Automating tasks seamlessly and consistently is proving difficult for everyone in the industry.
• Apple is aiming for best-in-class performance. They don't just want to be first; they want to be the best at delivering a reliable and intuitive AI assistant experience.

This delay, while perhaps disappointing to some, underscores Apple's unwavering commitment to quality and user experience. It's a reminder that even the most advanced technology requires meticulous refinement to meet the expectations of Apple's discerning customer base. While the wait for the upgraded Siri continues, the promise of a truly reliable and context-aware AI assistant remains an exciting prospect for the future of Apple devices.

Tags: Apple, Siri, Apple Intelligence, WWDC 2024, Craig Federighi, Greg Joswiak, Tech News, AI Assistant, Voice Assistant, Apple Delay

Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/685106/apple-ai-siri-delay-craig-federighi-greg-joswiak-wwdc-2025