Apple Is Rushing to Turn Siri Into a Real AI Agent

Introduction

The next important test for Siri may not be whether it can answer a question, but whether it can complete a task from beginning to end. According to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, Apple is pushing to accelerate Siri’s AI roadmap and turn the assistant into a more agentic system.

The report says Apple has produced a functional Siri AI version on a compressed timeline, but the company does not believe it has caught up with its competitors. Apple is now looking to make Siri more capable of operating applications and handling tasks that require several steps. The effort is also intended to respond to products such as OpenAI’s Dots and Meta’s Muse, which are presented as assistants that can pursue goals over time.

Key developments

• Deeper control of Apple apps: An upcoming update is expected to give Siri finer control over first-party software. Possible actions include rotating and cropping images in Photos or organizing Safari tabs. These capabilities are expected with iOS 27.3.
• Expansion into third-party services: A later update, reportedly expected in the spring, could allow Siri to carry out tasks through outside apps. Examples mentioned in the report include placing an order through Grubhub or booking a restaurant through OpenTable.
• More persistent task execution: Apple ultimately wants Siri to move beyond one-shot commands. The assistant would understand a goal, determine what should happen next, and continue working without requiring the user to manually initiate every step.

Why it matters

This would represent a substantial change in Siri’s role. Traditional voice assistants are mainly used for search, reminders, media playback, and device controls. An AI agent, by contrast, needs to understand context, use tools, coordinate several actions, and maintain progress toward a broader objective. Apple’s control over its operating systems and hardware could give Siri a strong foundation for this type of integration.

That advantage also creates difficult constraints. Siri would need to work across third-party services while respecting permissions, handling failures, and avoiding unintended actions. Reliability will matter as much as raw model capability: a system that can book a table or place an order must also know when to ask for confirmation or stop.

The competitive pressure is clear. If Siri remains limited to isolated system features, users may not see the full value of Apple’s AI strategy. A dependable assistant that can move between applications could instead become a central interface for Apple devices.

The timeline remains based on reported expectations, not a completed public rollout. Apple’s success will depend on whether it can deliver useful agentic behavior without sacrificing privacy, control, and trust.

Source: The Verge AI