Apple changes how it builds iOS 28, macOS 28 as it races to make Siri a smarter AI assistant

As AI assistants become increasingly capable of handling tasks rather than simply answering questions, Apple appears to be rethinking what Siri should do next. The company is exploring a more ambitious approach that could turn its voice assistant into an autonomous AI agent, allowing it to keep track of what you want to accomplish and work towards those goals without requiring repeated instructions.

The move could bring Siri closer to tools such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT Dots, Meta’s Muse and xAI’s Grok. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple’s new CEO John Ternus wants the company to accelerate its AI ambitions and move beyond making incremental improvements to Siri. The development could mark a significant shift in how iPhone users interact with Apple’s AI assistant.

MUST READ | Apple cuts employee AI budgets for employees as ChatGPT, Claude usage costs mount

Apple wants Siri to do more than respond to commands

In his Power On newsletter, Gurman reported that Apple wants Siri to become more like an AI agent. Unlike conventional assistants that wait for individual instructions, these agents can remember ongoing goals, identify what needs to happen next, and keep working toward an objective.

For instance, instead of asking Siri to perform every step separately, you could eventually give it a broader task and allow it to manage the steps involved. This could include keeping track of ongoing projects, monitoring information and proactively bringing relevant updates to you.

Gurman said Apple could move Siri in this direction as early as next year, although the company has not confirmed a launch timeline.

DON'T MISS | Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra gets ₹70,000 offer on Amazon: Here’s how to bring the price down to ₹57,399

John Ternus pushes Apple to accelerate AI development

The report also highlights growing urgency within Apple’s leadership to strengthen its AI capabilities. Ternus reportedly held a closed-door meeting with software engineering chief Craig Federighi in recent weeks, asking him to accelerate Apple’s software roadmap and move beyond basic Siri improvements.

Apple is already working on expanding Siri’s capabilities. The upcoming iOS 27.3 update is expected to bring deeper controls within Apple applications, while support for third-party apps is reportedly planned for a later stage.

However, turning Siri into an autonomous agent would require a bigger shift. Apple will need to make its assistant capable of managing tasks over time rather than simply responding to individual requests.