Apple is undertaking a significant overhaul of its iOS and macOS development processes as it pushes to transform Siri into a more advanced, autonomous AI agent. This strategic shift, reported by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, aims to move Siri beyond simple command responses to become a proactive, goal-oriented assistant.
CEO John Ternus Accelerates Apple's AI Ambitions
According to the report, Apple's new CEO, John Ternus, is spearheading this accelerated drive, reportedly holding a closed-door meeting with software engineering chief Craig Federighi. Ternus has urged the company to move past incremental improvements and embrace a more ambitious AI roadmap.
This initiative positions Apple to compete more directly with cutting-edge AI tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT Dots, Meta’s Muse, and xAI’s Grok, which offer agentic capabilities.
Siri as an Autonomous AI Agent
Unlike conventional voice assistants that await specific instructions for each step, an autonomous AI agent can remember ongoing objectives, identify necessary actions, and work independently towards a broader goal. For instance, users could assign Siri a complex task, and the AI agent would manage the various steps involved, monitor information, and proactively provide relevant updates.
This means Siri could eventually keep track of ongoing projects, anticipate user needs, and take actions without requiring repeated, granular commands. While Apple has not confirmed a launch timeline, Gurman suggests this evolution could begin as early as next year.
Software Roadmap and Future Updates
Apple is already enhancing Siri's capabilities, with the upcoming iOS 27.3 update expected to introduce deeper controls within Apple's own applications. Support for third-party apps is reportedly planned for a later stage. However, the transition to a fully autonomous Siri AI agent represents a much larger architectural shift, requiring the assistant to manage tasks over extended periods rather than just responding to immediate requests.