Siri is a Complete Failure, and AI Won’t Rescue It

I get it, I’m late to the “Siri isn’t great” discussion. However, to my credit, Siri’s shortcomings have only become more pronounced. It never used to falter when I asked what month it was. But credit where it’s due—the glow effect from Apple’s design team is impressive.

Siri’s decline isn’t just about deterioration over time; rather, our expectations for digital assistants are on the rise.

Meanwhile, Siri seems stuck, waiting for someone to figure out how to repair the elevator while the rest of us take the stairs to the very top of the tallest building.

Perhaps Apple will surprise us by introducing significant Apple Intelligence upgrades for Siri next year. However, the mood has shifted, and Siri’s reputation has certainly taken a hit.

A voice assistant that truly surpasses Siri’s limitations may need a new identity or even a whole new provider.

While Siri has improved in polish since its debut with Scott Forstall on the iPhone 4S in October 2011, where it was groundbreaking, today, many view Siri as something to avoid altogether.

In the past, I dismissed claims of Siri’s imminent demise. What would take its place? Would we opt for CarPlay or AirPods sans Siri? Voice commands are crucial to these functions. Yet, alternatives could still exist outside of Siri.

To extinguish this specific dumpster fire, drastic measures are required. Simply stacking additional features on a system that has long passed its expiration date will only exacerbate the issue.

However, damage control is possible. Begin by retiring the Siri brand. Announce that Siri is complete and in maintenance mode, halting new features while pruning the most unreliable ones. Rebrand the remaining functionalities as Voice Control. The wake word can remain as is, but perhaps a new, less anthropomorphized alternative could be considered.

The hurdles for Siri have always been extensive. Adding a complex AI layer might just increase possibilities for failure.

Safeguard the Apple Intelligence brand by shaping it with what has already been implemented. Focus on three core pillars: Writing Tools for your ideas, Notification Summaries for essential alerts, and Generate for creative tools.

Apple may not pursue this, but it should allow AI voice assistants like ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode, Google Gemini, Amazon’s upcoming Alexa+, and Perplexity’s voice mode to achieve deeper integration with the system. This means enabling them to be activated without needing to unlock the device and allowing for activation through accessories like AirPods and Apple Watch.

This could lead to a more promising future. Apple must stick to its strengths as a provider of platforms and high-quality hardware.

Otherwise, I can’t shake the feeling that AI-first devices will render the iPhone a fantastic camera with great design and exceptional silicon, but significantly lacking in system-level AI capabilities.

While Amazon’s Fire Phone ended with a fire sale, I would consider switching to an Android phone offering deep ChatGPT integration today. That’s the biggest vibe shift I’ve experienced personally.

To conclude, I’ll restate what I shared before Apple delayed its more personalized Siri indefinitely:

Which of these features will debut in the iOS 18.4 beta? We should find out shortly. But how effective they are remains to be seen.

It feels like a pivotal moment for Siri, and these remaining iOS 18 features are key indicators of Apple’s ability to integrate AI with Siri.

These three Siri features are AI applications that only Apple can offer—this isn’t merely due to Apple’s AI expertise, but because of its role as the platform operator.

Apple needs to solidify these ambitious features prior to making any big commitments regarding Siri and Apple Intelligence in iOS 19. With WWDC 2025 just around the corner, time is of the essence.

Siri must emerge as the premier voice assistant available on the iPhone.

It’s the only assistant that enjoys profound integration with the device and operating system. This heightens the case for Apple to excel in AI, rather than simply serve as a platform for emerging technologies.

If Siri fails to evolve, the argument for Apple to support changing the default voice assistant—and allow for competing assistants within iOS—will only strengthen. Otherwise, standalone AI devices will genuinely find their place in the market.

A limited integration with sporadic ChatGPT requests won’t suffice. Over time, the iPhone could seem less appealing to users prioritizing access to the best AI-powered voice assistant over the allure of blue iMessage bubbles.