Apple unveils an upgraded Siri voice assistant with new AI features at
its annual conference
[June 09, 2026] By
BARBARA ORTUTAY
CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) — Apple on Monday unveiled new artificial
intelligence advances including upgrades to its Siri assistant,
emphasizing a focus on privacy and day-to-day use as the iPhone maker
tries to catch up to rivals when it comes to AI.
Siri AI, which was introduced at the start of Apple's annual World Wide
Developers Conference, has been highly anticipated by users and
developers. While Siri was launched in 2011, it fell behind other voice
assistants and was derided even by Apple fans.
It is the last WWDC featuring CEO Tim Cook before he turns his post over
to John Ternus in September. Cook received an extended standing ovation
and told the audience he is “deeply grateful to have been on this
journey with you” and said “the energy around Apple platforms has never
been stronger.”
The conference, which drew developers from some 65 countries to Apple’s
Silicon Valley headquarters, focuses on software, in contrast to the
fall unveiling of the latest iPhones.
Apple steps up its AI game
Apple has sought to distinguish itself from its peers by stressing a
privacy-centered approach and integrating AI across its devices and
apps. There was no mention of AI superintelligence or companion chatbots.
Rather, Apple sought to demonstrate how its AI tools can make life
easier.
Apple software chief Craig Federighi took some swipes at AI companies —
without naming them — that seem to be “pursuing AI for the sake of AI”
without clear regard for the people it is supposed to serve. At Apple,
he said, “we believe that truly helpful AI should be centered around you
and your needs,” which means integrating AI into the products people use
every day, with a focus on privacy.
The conference unveiled updates to Apple Intelligence, which was first
announced in 2024. It now uses Google’s Gemini AI model to help power
its features and processes users' requests and interactions on their own
device and privately on the cloud, making them inaccessible to anyone
else.
At the center of it is the new Siri, which Apple said is now a “much
more capable assistant” that can help users find what they need and get
things done across various Apple devices. For instance, it can create a
menu and gather recipes from the web or from your own text messages for
a World Cup viewing party and invite friends from a group chat. Siri
mode on your camera, meanwhile, can tell you what you are looking at and
give you relevant information, such as the nutritional details of a
plate of food.
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CEO Tim Cook waves during the annual World Wide Developers
Conference at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., Monday,
June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
 Siri's visual intelligence also
works with images on your screen. For example, it can tell you
whether a backpack you are thinking of getting will work as a
carry-on for a flight or whether a pair of bulky hiking boots will
fit inside it.
Apple also announced improvements to its popular AI photo editing
tools, including spatial reframing that lets you adjust how a photo
is framed after it was taken — as if you had moved the camera to a
better position while you were snapping the picture.
A standalone Siri AI app will launch later this year, though Apple
said it will not initially be available in Europe and it won't be
available in China while the company works out regulatory issues.
Tim Cook's last WWDC
Cook announced his retirement in April, ending a 15-year run that
saw the company’s market value soar by more than $4 trillion during
an iPhone-fueled era of prosperity. Ternus has been with Apple for
the past quarter century, including the past five years overseeing
the engineering underlying the iPhone, iPad and Mac — a role that
made him a prime candidate to succeed Cook.
Ternus did not take the main stage during Monday’s event.
The transition to a new CEO comes at a pivotal time for Apple.
Artificial intelligence has unleashed the most upheaval within the
industry since Jobs unveiled the first iPhone in 2007. Apple has
gotten off to a rough start in AI after stumbling in its efforts to
deliver new features built on the technology, as promised nearly two
years ago.
Cook called his time at Apple “the honor of a lifetime.”
“I truly believe the best is still ahead.”
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