Siri has been in millions of people’s pockets for over ten years, mishearing song requests, setting alarms, and responding to weather queries with startling regularity. However, the widespread popularity of ChatGPT and its generative cousins made Siri’s shortcomings immediately apparent on a global scale. Apple seemed to be far behind in the AI race where intelligence and speed are valuable assets.
Competitors like Google and Microsoft took a lead that Apple, which is known for only shipping when it is ready, appeared unable or unwilling to follow by incorporating cutting-edge AI into almost every consumer app. Former insiders claim that dysfunction, subpar leadership, and a strong aversion to risk are the true causes of Siri’s stalled development rather than merely cautious engineering. Recent disclosures have shown that the company is internally split on whether and how to update Siri for the AI era.
Key Players and Internal Dynamics in Apple’s Siri AI Story
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Core Issue | Siri’s delayed AI upgrade and internal conflicts within Apple’s AI/ML division |
| Key Teams | AI/ML group (led by John Giannandrea), Intelligent Systems (under Craig Federighi) |
| Notable Leadership Concerns | Robby Walker criticized for lacking innovation drive; team dubbed “AIMLess” |
| Major Internal Shifts | AI leadership transitions, conflicts over use of third-party AI models, Federighi’s expanded role |
| Controversial Demo | 2023 Siri upgrades shown at WWDC were largely non-functional, aside from UI enhancements |
| Response to ChatGPT | Giannandrea initially dismissed chatbots, underestimating their user value |
| Reference | The Information – Full Report |
A Demo Without a Solid Foundation
Siri was positioned for what was billed as a comeback at Apple’s 2023 WWDC. Surprisingly, however, there was no functional prototype to support that demonstration, which included voice inquiries about lunch plans and flight arrivals. Siri’s engineers were apparently taken by surprise. Everything that had been shown on stage had only been a test animation, a vibrant pulsing ribbon.
This was remarkably unusual for a company that typically only showcases its capabilities, and it was an indication that Apple was finding it difficult to meet the demands of AI development. Uncomfortably loud was the dissonance between engineering and marketing.
Internal Conflicts and an Odds Culture
It wasn’t just a technical issue. By permitting engineering, AI/ML, and software leadership to develop deep silos, Apple produced an internal ecosystem that resisted urgency. According to former workers, the AI group was demoralized and sluggish, with benefits like flexible scheduling and quick promotions covering up a culture of execution that was noticeably poor.
A reference to the initials of the AI/ML group, the internal moniker “AIMLess” speaks as much about perception as it does about performance. Due to strategic hesitancy and a vague vision, Siri was a hot potato that was passed back and forth between teams unwilling to take responsibility for its flaws.
The early effects of large language models were reportedly disregarded by senior AI leadership. In 2022, Giannandrea, Apple’s AI chief, told employees that ChatGPT-style chatbots were not very useful. This statement now appears to be wildly out of step with industry and public sentiment.
Federighi’s Clever Turnabout
Craig Federighi, Apple’s longtime software chief, is now the hope for Siri’s comeback. His newly empowered Intelligent Systems group is leading the charge to integrate more intelligent AI throughout iOS. On the inside, Federighi is viewed as a shipper rather than a talker.
Federalighi has paved the way for quicker and more flexible AI experimentation by changing the rules to permit open-source and third-party models, which were previously prohibited by Apple’s internal guidelines. This subtle shift is a cultural indication that Apple is at last prepared to compete, not just a technical one.
Apple is placing a wager through strategic realignment that it can still win in the long run by being correct rather than first. It’s the same formula that made the Apple Watch the market leader in wearables and the iPhone a late but successful entry into the smartphone market.
“Hey, Finally?” after “Hey Siri”
Siri remains active, continues to listen, and may even be falling behind. However, in a year where artificial intelligence has transformed search engines, creative software, productivity tools, and even voice assistants, Apple can no longer afford to ignore Siri.
Everyone’s attention will be on WWDC 2025 in the upcoming months. To see if Apple can finally live up to the hype, not to see what Siri has to say. Apple has an opportunity to reframe Siri as a contender rather than a relic by adopting third-party models, simplifying team conflicts, and reintroducing risk as a component of innovation.
And if they are successful? Siri may transform from a representation of a lost chance to one of Apple’s most impressive comebacks.
