Apple’s Siri boss, Robby Walker, admitted there has been an “ugly” delay in releasing an AI-equipped version of the digital assistant. He made the comments during an all-hands meeting earlier this month. According to employees familiar with his remarks, Walker said the overhaul has already received heavy public promotion, including in TV commercials.
He acknowledged that some employees might feel “relieved” by the delay while others “might be feeling embarrassed.”
The Siri AI delay is a big concern for Apple and its AI team but the company is intent on making it work and give the best version to the users.#artificial_intelligence #applenews #TechNewshttps://t.co/QqyyysFAlq
— News18 (@CNNnews18) March 17, 2025
“You might have co-workers, friends, or family asking you what happened, and it doesn’t feel good,” Walker said. “It’s very reasonable to feel all these things.”
Can’t talk? Now you can type to Siri. Apple Intelligence now on iPhone 16.
— Apple (@Apple) March 17, 2025
However, he praised team members for creating “incredibly impressive” features that ultimately lead to a strong product. Walker reportedly said that Siri’s AI features, which provide customized assistance based on the user’s data, generate inadequate responses as much as one-third of the time.
Initially targeted for a release this spring, the Siri overhaul is not expected to roll out until next year, according to people familiar with the situation. Walker acknowledged that many team members were likely feeling burnt out and noted that the Siri features would ship “as soon as they are ready.”
There is something about this latest Siri frenzy that feels a bit…off. People claiming falsehoods like "Apple stopped innovating" or "The innovation train is over." Those claims are demonstrably false. And yet people keep repeating the phrases.
— Neil Cybart (@neilcybart) March 16, 2025
Apple’s Siri delay explanation
Apple has heavily promoted AI alongside its new iPhones.
The company’s shares have been down nearly 13% since the start of the year—a decline alongside broader market turmoil that has also hammered other Big Tech stocks. The problems began not long after Apple Intelligence rolled out last fall when its AI-generated summaries began spitting out fake news alerts erroneously based on articles written by outlets like the Washington Post and BBC. After heavy criticism, Apple has continued improving the technology and ensuring the accuracy of its AI-generated content.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has called AI a “game changer” for the company. The features are critical to Apple’s overall strategy, and many believe they will eventually be integrated into various aspects of the user experience across all Apple devices.
Image Credits: Photo by Bangyu Wang on Unsplash
April Isaacs is a news contributor for DevX.com She is long-term, self-proclaimed nerd. She loves all things tech and computers and still has her first Dreamcast system. It is lovingly named Joni, after Joni Mitchell.
