Ready for a Siri AI agent? Apple under pressure to upgrade its assistant faster

Apple's new CEO, John Ternus, is reportedly pushing the company to expedite its AI efforts, with a focus on enhancing Siri's capabilities. While publicly pleased with Siri's recent launch, Ternus is reportedly privately urging SVP of software engineering Craig Federighi to accelerate the process. The revamped Siri AI now offers improved features, including the ability to automatically generate strong passwords.

However, it still lags behind more autonomous agents from AI-first companies like OpenClaw and Anthropic's Claude Code, which can proactively manage tasks, use computers, and write advanced code. Despite Apple's powerful hardware, the company has been slower in developing the necessary software for AI agents.

This lag has, in some circles, contributed to a growing sentiment of trust in Apple amid rising public concerns over AI. Users appreciate Apple's privacy-first approach to AI development, which sets it apart from other products. However, Apple's two-year hype for Siri AI, coupled with a release that was primarily an upgrade rather than a revolutionary product, may signal that users are ready for more advanced features.

An agentic Siri, which could automatically handle tasks and provide insights without user input, could help bridge this gap.

Apple's push for Siri AI could potentially draw users away from third-party AI apps like ChatGPT or Claude, as Apple's ecosystem is known for its seamless integration. However, the significant gap between Apple's current AI capabilities and those of competitors like OpenAI and Anthropic makes this unlikely in the near future. Still, as public backlash and privacy concerns grow, Apple could leverage its existing strengths by designing more secure and privacy-focused AI features in-house.