Apple CEO Tim Cook, who is stepping down from his role, announced a long-awaited AI update for Siri at the company's annual developer conference.
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In 2024, Apple said it had created its own take on AI. It would be integrated into Siri, the iPhone virtual assistant that has never really delivered on its promise.Then Apple found itself unable to deliver the new Siri.Now this week, at its annual developers conference, Apple said the new, AI-powered Siri is actually ready, and iPhone users will finally see it this fall.The new Siri isn't meant to compete with the most sophisticated versions of AI engines like ChatGPT or Claude. And it's not going to help you vibe-code a new business.But the announcement is still significant, says The Verge's Nilay Patel. He thinks that for many people, the new Siri will be an effective replacement for the free version of ChatGPT — the AI engine Apple partnered with back in 2024. And he thinks it's a sign of where Apple is headed, where phones could get swapped out for some other kind of AI-powered device.Patel and I talked about that and much more — including the prospects for Apple CEO-to-be John Ternus, and why Patel thinks so many AI leaders don't understand how actual humans spend their time — on my Channels podcast. The following is an edited excerpt of our conversation:Peter Kafka: What's most important about the AI announcements Apple made this week?
