Summary created by Smart Answers AI
In summary:
- Macworld reports that Apple is testing a next-generation Siri capable of handling multiple commands simultaneously, powered by Google’s Gemini technology foundation model.
- This major overhaul for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 will include context understanding, on-screen interaction, and hundreds of in-app actions.
- Apple aims to significantly upgrade Siri’s capabilities to compete with modern AI assistants and catch up in the AI race.
It seems sort of obvious, but a modern AI assistant should be able to handle being asked to do more than one thing at a time. You should be able to say, “Make a calendar appointment for my haircut at 5 pm and send a text to my wife letting her know I’ll be home late that day.” But it’s not something Siri can do now, and it’s not exactly trivial to make an AI assistant properly parse out requests into multiple actions.
According to a new report from Bloomberg, Apple is currently testing such a feature. It is intended to be a part of the big Siri overhaul in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27. The report says users will be able to combine multiple requests, like “check the weather, create a calendar appointment, and send a message,” into a single prompt.
That this is even news shows how far behind Apple is in the AI assistant space. Modern chatbots and assistants handle this sort of thing already, and Apple is currently just testing it for an update not expected to reach all their users until this fall at the earliest.
Apple’s new Siri will be powered by an entire new foundation model, which uses Google’s Gemini technology at its core. It will allegedly include the features promised, but not delivered, as part of iOS 18—understanding of personal context, the ability to see and react to what is on screen, and the ability to take hundreds of different actions within apps. It’s also said to be a full chatbot, with an interface that will let you see past chats and commands and reference them.
The new Siri should also extend the Siri Extensions feature, currently limited to just ChatGPT, so that users can additionally use other AI assistants installed through the App Store.
Gurman also says Apple is testing a new system keyboard that advances autocorrect, although perhaps not in the way most users are hoping. The keyboard will suggest alternate words or phrases, similar to Grammarly and other tools. The Bloomberg report says a final decision on whether or not to release that keyboard has not yet been made.
