Siri, Apple’s virtual assistant, has been a staple feature of iOS since its introduction in 2011. However, despite being one of the first mainstream voice assistants, Siri has often lagged behind competitors like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa in terms of intelligence, adaptability, and overall functionality. As we look toward the future of iOS, especially with the anticipated iOS 18 release, there are several key areas where Siri must improve to become more competitive.
People have been complaining about Siri for years, saying that it lags behind Alexa and Google Assistant, the most widely used personal assistants available on various electronic devices. But we have a strong start in AI here and we have WWDC24 ahead of us, so a lot of things can change for the better.
Apple Siri has long since needed to make some significant improvements, and now it’s time to show its strength. But the company has a well-established strategy for adopting new technologies. It prefers to let other companies suffer the “birth pains” and will only enter a segment when it is confident that it will succeed in the competitive battle.
But now there is nothing and why wait. It is with WWDC that we expect that Apple will put its full power into AI, and this includes significant improvements to Siri, which probably would not be possible without this assistant. This is not only evident from leaks but also from Tim Cook himself. So what can you expect?
App Access and Generative AI
One of Siri’s biggest weaknesses is that it can’t interact with other apps in any meaningful way. Sure, it can control smart home devices, and there are Siri Shortcuts, but generally speaking, Siri won’t help you if the thing you want to do requires a third-party app. This is based on the fact that Apple wanted Siri to do less, but do it better. Now it’s time to change that.
If Siri can figure out what we’re really trying to achieve, and connect with third-party apps and services like Uber, Booking.com, transportation companies, etc., it gives us the ability to use multiple apps to perform complex tasks, which is unavoidable without generative AI. We all know ChatGPT and how we can interact with this chatbot in such a way that we don’t get machine-like answers, but often answers that make it hard to believe that there isn’t a real person on the other end. Siri should be that way too.
Everything would work simply and intuitively. You would ask Siri to take you directly to point B at a certain time and she would do that with the company of your choice. So if I travel more by train than by bus, the second option is no problem. Moreover, he easily books a stay if I am there longer. He does not need to know the entrance, he knows where I am.
1. Enhanced Contextual Understanding
One of the most significant limitations of Siri is its poor ability to understand context in conversations. Google Assistant, for example, can remember previous queries and provide more nuanced responses based on the context of the ongoing conversation. Siri needs to adopt a more advanced contextual understanding in iOS 18 to stay competitive.
What Is Contextual Understanding?
Contextual understanding refers to Siri’s ability to track the conversation’s flow, remember previous commands or questions, and apply that knowledge to respond more intelligently. For example:
- If you ask, “What’s the weather tomorrow?” followed by “Will it rain in the afternoon?” Siri should understand that “it” refers to tomorrow’s weather without needing repeated details.
By learning to interpret multi-step interactions, Siri can become more conversational and natural to use.
2. Better Integration with Third-Party Apps
Currently, Siri’s integration with third-party apps is limited compared to other voice assistants. While Apple has made some progress with Siri Shortcuts, which allow users to create custom commands for apps, the system remains rigid and clunky.
What Siri Needs:
- Open APIs for developers to create deeper integrations.
- More robust app-specific commands and the ability for Siri to launch complex tasks within third-party apps without needing manual setup.
Improving third-party app support would allow Siri to offer a more seamless experience for users who depend on a variety of apps beyond Apple’s ecosystem.
3. Advanced Personalization and Learning
To compete with AI-powered assistants like Google Assistant, Siri must get smarter over time by learning from user behavior. Currently, Siri lacks the ability to learn preferences, make personalized recommendations, or adjust responses based on habits.
How Personalization Can Help:
- Learning Daily Routines: Siri could offer personalized reminders, shortcuts, or notifications based on the user’s schedule or routines.
- Recommendation Algorithms: By learning what type of content users prefer, Siri could recommend music, TV shows, or even news articles tailored to individual tastes.
Personalized AI assistants are becoming the norm, and Siri needs to leverage machine learning to offer more relevant and helpful recommendations.
4. Multitasking and More Complex Commands
One of the major complaints from users is Siri’s inability to handle complex or multi-part commands. Google Assistant and Alexa can string together multiple actions in a single command, while Siri often falls short in these scenarios.
What Multitasking Could Look Like:
- Chained Commands: Allow Siri to handle multiple requests within one command. For instance, “Turn on the lights, lower the thermostat, and play my morning playlist” should be a single, smooth action.
- Task Execution in the Background: Siri could manage tasks like sending emails, updating social media, or running scripts in the background while users focus on other activities.
Improving Siri’s ability to handle multi-step tasks would dramatically enhance its usability and competitiveness.
5. Offline Functionality
Siri currently requires an internet connection to function properly. This makes it less reliable in situations where connectivity is limited. Competing assistants, like Google Assistant, offer limited offline capabilities for basic tasks.
Essential Offline Skills Siri Needs:
- Basic commands like setting alarms, sending texts, or controlling music playback should be available offline.
- Processing Speech Locally: With advances in local machine learning, Siri could handle voice recognition and simple tasks without needing the cloud.
By learning how to operate without a constant internet connection, Siri would become more versatile and dependable.
6. Improved Natural Language Processing (NLP)
Siri’s responses can sometimes feel robotic or overly formal, making conversations with the assistant less natural than with competitors like Alexa or Google Assistant.
How NLP Enhances Siri’s Experience:
- More Natural Responses: Siri needs to improve its ability to respond in a conversational tone, using more human-like expressions.
- Accurate Speech Recognition: Better NLP could lead to fewer errors when interpreting accents, slang, or casual language, improving Siri’s accuracy.
Improved NLP would make Siri easier to interact with, especially for users with different speech patterns or languages.
7. Cross-Platform Expansion
Apple has traditionally limited Siri to its own ecosystem, while other assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant are available across various platforms. Expanding Siri’s capabilities to work better with non-Apple devices could give it a competitive edge.
What Cross-Platform Integration Could Look Like:
- Siri on More Devices: Expanding Siri’s functionality to work with non-Apple smart home devices, TVs, or even Android systems would widen its appeal.
- Cross-Device Continuity: Allowing Siri to offer seamless continuity between iPhones, iPads, Macs, and non-Apple devices could provide a more cohesive user experience.
Conclusion
Siri has been a reliable assistant within the Apple ecosystem, but to truly compete with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, it needs to evolve in several areas. From enhancing contextual understanding to improving third-party app integration, personalization, and multitasking, iOS 18 offers Apple a significant opportunity to transform Siri into a more competitive, intelligent assistant. By focusing on these key areas, Siri can finally become the smarter, more capable virtual assistant that Apple users deserve.