Apple's plans to enhance its voice assistant, Siri, with advanced AI capabilities are facing significant delays. Originally slated for release in 2025, key features have now been pushed back to 2026, with some potentially even later. This setback underscores the challenges Apple is encountering in its artificial intelligence division, raising concerns about its ability to compete with rivals in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.

The delay primarily affects features that would allow Siri to perform tasks within other apps and access personal user data to provide more personalized and context-aware assistance. Apple had previously showcased these capabilities as part of its Apple Intelligence suite, designed to supercharge Siri and enable it to seamlessly integrate with various applications. Examples included Siri's ability to retrieve podcast recommendations from friends or track flight information based on data stored on the device.

According to sources within Apple, the delay is attributed to software bugs and concerns that the features were not functioning properly during internal testing. Software chief Craig Federighi and other executives reportedly expressed strong reservations about the reliability and performance of the new capabilities. Some within Apple's AI division even suggest that the features may need to be rebuilt from scratch, potentially delaying their release until a next-generation Siri is unveiled, possibly in 2026 or later.

The delay is particularly embarrassing for Apple, as it has already been advertising these not-yet-ready features in TV commercials. The company's marketing of the iPhone 16 as being “built for the ground up for Apple Intelligence” further exacerbates the situation, as the core features of that experience may not be available until months after the iPhone 17 debuts. In response to potential customer frustration, Apple has reportedly provided guidance to its AppleCare support representatives, instructing them to reiterate that the features are anticipated to roll out in the coming year.

Apple's rivals, including Alphabet's Google and Amazon, have been aggressively integrating AI into their voice assistants. Google has added its Gemini model to its assistant, while Amazon has rolled out an AI-driven overhaul of Alexa. The delays in Siri's AI enhancements threaten to put Apple further behind in the voice assistant market.

Despite the setbacks, Apple has made some refinements to Siri as part of the rollout of iOS 18, including integration with OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot and a text-based option called Type to Siri. However, these features do not represent fundamental changes to the underlying technology.

The challenges Apple faces in its AI division have led to internal discussions about the need for leadership changes. Some employees question whether CEO Tim Cook or the company's board should take action to address the issues and ensure that Apple remains competitive in the AI space. The company has enlisted veteran software leader Kim Vorrath to assist the team, but it remains to be seen whether this will be enough to overcome the obstacles.