

Siri is the digital assistant that you'll find across the Apple ecosystem, from iPhone and iPad to Apple Watch, HomePods and AirPods Pro 2. And according to a new report in the New York Times he, she or they are about to get a whole lot smarter.
The article says that Apple is currently testing "generative AI concepts" that use similar technology to the ChatGPT tech that's currently hogging the headlines. And that tech, the article also says, has made it clear just how "clunky" Siri's code is. According to former Apple engineer John Burkey, who has first-hand knowledge of Siri's underlying tech, Siri is built on "clunky code that took weeks to update with basic features."
What's wrong with Siri?
According to the NYT, quite a bit. The design is "cumbersome" and its database contains a massive list of phrases in almost two dozen languages, making it quite the resource hog – and even simple things such as adding new phrases means rebuilding the entire Siri database, a process that can take over a month. Which is roughly how long it takes Siri to respond to many of my voice commands.
The NYT doesn't pull its punches: the article headline is "How Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant lost the AI Race". But it does say that Apple is re-evaluating its whole AI approach now that ChatGPT and similar technologies are leaving existing personal digital assistants in the dust.
I'm torn here, because I've written many times about Siri's flaws – but just today I got ChatGPT to write an article about somebody and with the exception of their name, which it got right (because it was there in the initial query) everything it produced was absolute nonsense with no relation to reality. Producing nonsense with great confidence doesn't seem very intelligent to me, artificially or otherwise, and a Siri that can do more things faster, but badly, doesn't really appeal. But there's no doubt that Siri desperately needs a shake-up.
If you'd like to see Siri on your iPhone, you don't need to wait: there's a shortcut that can add it to your device, enabling it to answer queries on demand. You can find out how to add it and use it here.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
Writer, musician and broadcaster Carrie Marshall has been covering technology since 1998 and is particularly interested in how tech can help us live our best lives. Her CV is a who’s who of magazines, newspapers, websites and radio programmes ranging from T3, Techradar and MacFormat to the BBC, Sunday Post and People’s Friend. Carrie has written more than a dozen books, ghost-wrote two more and co-wrote seven more books and a Radio 2 documentary series; her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, was shortlisted for the British Book Awards. When she’s not scribbling, Carrie is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind (unquietmindmusic).
-
Siri AI still planned for iOS 26, but you'll have to wait
Some clarity on the long-awaited feature
-
Apple Watch personalisation could soon change dramatically – this is why
I can't wait for this feature
-
Your Pixel phone just got the biggest update of the year – Android 16 rolling out now
Google has started to roll out the full Android 16 update to supported Pixel phones
-
iPadOS 26 just made the iPad a true Mac replacement
Wait, did Apple just make a touchscreen MacBook?
-
There's an Android foldable coming with Apple Watch support – the first of its kind
Is Vivo about to take a swinging ball to Apple’s walled garden?
-
Apple's new Mac software brings many iOS 26 benefits – but adds one thing
Changes aplenty
-
Apple's AirPods are getting a very useful upgrade – but not all models
Apple is updating AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 with some great creativity features
-
Apple takes gaming seriously at last – separate Games app coming to iOS 26
Apple Games will include Arcade and other gaming services