Fresh rumors suggest that Apple’s voice assistant, Siri, may be in line for a significant upgrade at WWDC. Reports indicate that the artificial intelligence tool could soon be capable of holding natural conversations and generating content. Sources familiar with the matter have revealed that Apple’s developers have made substantial progress in incorporating an Ajax-based large language model into Siri.
Until now, Siri has struggled to keep up with rival voice assistants due to Apple’s stringent privacy restrictions, which mandate data to be stored and processed on the device itself. Nevertheless, recent advances in memory management have paved the way for AI models similar to ChatGPT to run on an iPhone.
In recent months, Apple has made a foray into the field of AI, publishing several open source projects, including a multi-modal model called Ferret, which boasts similar capabilities to OpenAI’s powerful GPT-4. The company has also shared research on local model execution and released MLX—a tool that simplifies working with various AI tools on Apple Silicon MacBooks. Additionally, rumors have surfaced regarding an upgraded microphone for Siri on future iPhones.
One notable breakthrough in Apple’s journey toward enhancing Siri’s capabilities is the discovery that allows large language models to leverage flash memory, which stores apps and data. This development enables these models to operate at speeds four to five times faster, greatly enhancing response times.
Although Siri’s core functionality has remained largely unchanged for some time, user expectations have evolved since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022. Amazon is working on an Alexa model based on large language models, slated for release this year, while Google plans to integrate its own Bard chatbot into Assistant. Furthermore, there are rumors that OpenAI is developing a ChatGPT version that could potentially replace Assistant as Android’s AI.
While these competing tools benefit from cloud-based data processing capabilities, Apple is likely to maintain its insistence on managing all data on the phone using the onboard neural engine when upgrading Siri with a large language model brain.
The most recent rumors indicate that the upgraded Siri could be unveiled at WWDC, offering features that work seamlessly across Apple devices. For instance, users may be able to continue conversations from their iPhones on MacBooks or iPads. Furthermore, an innovative generative AI service linked to Shortcuts could be introduced.
In summary, Siri’s potential major upgrade has generated substantial excitement and anticipation among Apple users and enthusiasts. The integration of a large language model into Siri could revolutionize the voice assistant landscape, empowering it to hold natural conversations and generate content. As the market continues to evolve, Apple aims to position Siri as a more competitive player in the voice assistant arena, which has seen significant advancements from other tech giants.
