Featured Image Credit: Apple
Big changes could be coming Apple’s way, with the tech giant reportedly working on a brand-new artificial intelligence that could replace Siri.
Virtual assistants have come a long way over the past decade, but they haven't exactly kept up the pace with the explosive advances we've recently seen in conversational AI.
That said, AI assistants like Apple's Siri have quietly woven themselves into our everyday lives, helping us answer questions about the weather and set cooking timers. Siri was first introduced as a standalone iOS app in 2010, before becoming a core feature with the iPhone 4S in October 2011.
Now, the tech overlord is reportedly working on an entirely new AI system to take Siri's place.
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The timing isn't accidental, as Apple's debut AI offerings in 2024 landed with more of a thud than a bang. Despite the initial hype, many users claimed Apple Intelligence to be the 'worst thing Apple have ever released'.
Hoping to close the gap with other tech rivals, Apple is reportedly partnering with Google and tapping into Google's Gemini to power a more personalised experience.
"By outsourcing the foundational layer of its AI to Google, Apple is effectively admitting that its internal efforts couldn't compete with Google's Gemini in terms of capability and scale in the short term," IDC analyst Francisco Jeronimo told the BBC. According to Bloomberg, the upgraded voice assistant is set to debut in September as a fully-fledged AI chatbot integrated across iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
Code-named Campos, the AI feature will run on a more advanced version of Google's model (something similar to Gemini 3), which Apple is internally calling Apple Foundation Models version 11, Reuters noted.
Similar to Siri, users will be able to interact with Campos through both voice commands and typing, Bloomberg added. However, the actual user experience will probably feel closer to what you'd get with OpenAI's ChatGPT (possibly without the ads).
In other news, wearable tech is becoming more popular beyond Apple Watches and Meta AI glasses.
The Silicon Valley company is said to be working on a wearable AI pin that can observe and understand your surroundings, a report from The Information revealed. Allegedly the size of an AirTag, the pin will come with cameras and microphones to accurately capture what's happening around you.
The Information reiterated that the device will feature both a standard lens and a wide-angle lens, three microphones, a speaker, a physical button on one of its sides, and wireless charging support.
However, don't get too excited just yet, as the revolutionary tech is still in the 'early stages' of development. If things go according to plan, we might see a sneak peek as soon as 2027, as per The Information.
