‘Constructive’ Siri AI meeting sparks hope for iPhone users overseas

The big news at Apple’s WWDC event last month was the launch of Siri AI, an upgraded and rebranded version of its beleaguered voice assistant. The software was promptly released in beta form to a generally positive reception, and it will roll out to the general public in the fall as part of the OS 27 updates. But not every customer will get to join in.

In a spiky open letter published on the same day as the announcement, Apple explained that Siri AI will be delayed for iPhone and iPad owners in the EU as a result of regulatory issues–namely the Digital Markets Act, which has been the source of considerable tension between Brussels and Big Technology.

“[The EU’s] refusal to engage constructively on solutions that preserve privacy and security means we do not currently have a timeline for Siri AI’s availability on iOS and iPadOS in the EU,” said Craig Federighi in a statement. It’s still coming to EU users as part of macOS 27 and visionOS 27, but anything more than that is currently uncertain.

While somewhat predictable, this impasse appeared to be bad news for all parties: Apple, because it misses out on a significant user base for its flagship new platform (and the data it would glean from them); customers, who are stuck with Siri in its current and frankly unfit-for-purpose condition; and probably even the EU, which in the eyes of many has been landed with the blame. So it’s imperative for some form of agreement to be reached, and the signs appear to be cautiously positive.

This week, as reported by Reuters, Apple CEO Tim Cook has held talks with European technology chief Henna Virkkunen.

“We can confirm that the call between ⁠[Virkkunen] and [Cook] took place,” said an EU spokesperson. “It was a constructive exchange ​on topics of common interest, on which the work continues.” These words aren’t much, but they offer some hope of reconciliation. And they mirror one of the few cheerful sections of Apple’s earlier open letter, which insisted that the company hoped “to eventually bring Siri AI to the EU, and we will continue to engage with EU regulators on a path forward.”

The Financial Times [paywall] further specifies that the meeting was virtual, and included “a discussion of how Apple can launch its reinvented Siri in Europe while avoiding millions of dollars in fines for violating the bloc’s flagship competition rules, according to two people familiar with the talks.”

Cook has exactly two months left in his time as Apple CEO, but the ascension of John Ternus to that role on September 1 won’t see his predecessor leave the company entirely. As executive chairman of the board, in fact, he’s likely to spend a large part of his time conducting this kind of political liaison.

Anarchy in the U.K.

As if this wasn’t enough of a headache, Apple faces difficulties elsewhere in Europe this week. In Britain, to be precise, which is no longer part of the EU but has hit upon a useful way of negotiating with tech giants: copy the negotiations made by the trading bloc it left in 2020.

In February, the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) used this approach to win concessions over the way Apple and Google run their app stores; and this week, as again reported by Reuters, the CMA is proposing to go further. It wants app developers to be able to “steer” users to payment methods other than the ones run by the store owners, and it wants Apple to open up the NFC systems on the iPhone so other companies can use Apple Wallet.

Apple has pushed back on the proposals. “When users are directed away from Apple’s trusted payment infrastructure, they lose the protections ​they rely on Apple to provide,” a spokesperson said.