Apple’s Siri Assistant Gets A New Job

InnovationAIApple’s Siri Assistant Gets A New JobByRon Schmelzer,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Ron Schmelzer covers AI and data best practices at Forbes since 2018Follow AuthorJun 09, 2026, 12:09pm EDTJun 09, 2026, 12:16pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.SHENZHEN, CHINA - JUNE 9: In this photo illustration, a smartphone displaying the Apple iOS 27 logo is seen in front of an illuminated Apple logo on June 9, 2026 in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China. Apple unveiled iOS 27 during its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2026, introducing updates focused on Apple Intelligence, enhancements to Siri, redesigned system apps and user interface improvements across the iPhone ecosystem. (Photo illustration by Cheng Xin/Getty Images)Getty ImagesFor years, Siri lived in the awkward middle distance of modern computing. It could set timers, place calls, start playlists, read texts and occasionally misunderstand a word so badly that it was instant comedy gold. Then ChatGPT arrived, Gemini matured, we became friends with Claude on a first-name basis,Copilot moved into work software, Alexa got a generative AI rebuild and the voice assistant category seemed to disappear from the main stage of technology. Where voice assistants used to be the whole conversation pre-LLM AI hype cycle, now it is a demoted and often ignored corner of the tech ecosystem.At this week’s WWDC 2026, Apple tried to reverse that demotion. The company introduced Siri AI, a rebuilt version of Siri powered by the next generation of Apple Intelligence. Apple says the new assistant can understand personal context from messages, email, photos, and apps, answer questions based on what is on screen, take actions in apps, search the web for current answers and continue conversations inside a new dedicated Siri app. The features are available for developer testing now and are...