When Apple introduced Siri in 2011 with the iPhone 4S, it seemed like the future was here. The commercials featured celebrities like Zooey Deschanel asking for tomato soup delivery, John Malkovich seeking life advice, and Martin Scorsese managing his schedule from a taxi. These ads showcased Siri as a helpful companion, capable of handling reminders, weather updates, alarms, and more, all without needing to open any apps. Just ask, and Siri will handle it.
At the launch of the iPhone 4S, Apple’s Phil Schiller declared Siri the best feature of the new device. He talked about the long-standing dream of being able to talk to technology and have it respond. Schiller boasted that Apple had made this dream a reality. However, developing a virtual assistant like Siri is a complex task. It requires advanced natural language processing, machine learning, and AI capabilities. Despite the challenges, Apple has been at the forefront of this technology, and the upcoming Siri update could be a significant step forward in realising the full potential of virtual assistants.
It’s true that Siri hasn’t quite lived up to its initial promise over the past 13 years. For many, Siri has become a tool for setting timers or a feature to be avoided. It often feels like Apple either neglected Siri or chose to overlook its flaws. This acknowledgement of past shortcomings is crucial in building trust and credibility with the audience.
A new era for Siri?
Next week at WWDC, Apple might finally unveil the Siri we’ve all been eagerly anticipating. Reports from Bloomberg and The New York Times hint at a significant transformation of Siri. The assistant is expected to become more dependable, thanks to advanced language models, even if it doesn’t introduce many new features. This improvement alone could be a game-changer. Moreover, Apple is reportedly developing a version of Siri that can seamlessly integrate with apps, enabling it to perform actions on your device. In essence, Siri could soon be capable of executing any task you can do on your phone, all on your behalf.
This has always been Siri’s vision, as seen in those early commercials. However, even then, Siri did not quite finish the job. It could tell you about restaurants that offer delivery but would not place the order for you. It could warn you about traffic but would not reroute you. It offered philosophical advice but no practical help. Using Siri has often felt like having an assistant who only Googles things for you.
Overcoming the hurdles
There are two main reasons Siri hasn’t reached its full potential. First, the technology wasn’t advanced enough. Siri frequently mishears names, misunderstands commands, and resorts to web searches when it should provide direct answers. However, with the introduction of large language models, Siri’s speech-to-text accuracy and broader language understanding could significantly improve. This could mean that Siri will be better equipped to understand complex commands, different accents, and dialects, making it a more reliable and user-friendly virtual assistant.
The second issue is that neither Apple nor developers know how Siri should work. What Siri can do or how to ask it to perform tasks often needs to be clarified. For instance, if you want to add a task to a to-do list, you must specify the app, making it cumbersome. Multi-step actions require using shortcuts, which can be too complex for many users.
AI could hold the key to enhancing Siri’s capabilities. Apple researchers have devised a system called Ferret-UI, which leverages AI to comprehend intricate elements of an onscreen image. When combined with GPT-4, this could empower Siri to identify and interact with app interfaces more effectively. For instance, one AI model might recognise an app, while another could pinpoint specific buttons, like a ‘buy’ button in the Ticketmaster app. This potential advancement is certainly something to look forward to.
Cautious optimism
We should approach Apple’s claims with caution. More than a decade ago, Schiller promised a superior voice assistant, and Siri didn’t deliver. The same could be true now, as AI hype often outpaces technological readiness. It’s worth noting that companies like Humane, Rabbit, and Google are also working on similar ideas, and no one has proven they’re fully ready yet. This competitive landscape underscores the challenges Apple faces in delivering a truly revolutionary Siri update.
If Apple has indeed made a breakthrough, this could be the first time we see the real Siri—the Siri we were promised years ago. Imagine the convenience of having a virtual assistant that can handle complex tasks, understand your needs, and respond accurately. Perhaps in the next commercial, Deschanel’s tomato soup will arrive at her door, and Malkovich will find inner peace with a single request. Maybe, finally, we’ll get the Siri Apple always intended to create—a virtual assistant that can truly enhance our productivity and simplify our lives.