Apple is clearly shaking up the leadership of its burgeoning Siri team. This strategic move is reported to be intended to accelerate the growth of its own virtual assistant. The decision comes after the previous management failed to deliver the promised upgrades to Siri with the release of iOS 18. Apple is serious about developing the best AI technology on its devices. Siri, in its present incarnation, has underperformed against that vision and promise. As Apple’s Vice President of Software Craig Federighi noted, Siri isn’t the smartest assistant in the world yet.
Leadership Change to Fast-Track Development
In a stunning play, Apple has brought on board as the new head of Siri’s team Mike Rockwell, the former head of Vision Pro. While Rockwell doesn’t come from an AI-specific background, he has been an outspoken critic of Siri’s evolution for half a decade. His experience running Vision products included the rare opportunity to gain executive leadership experience. That know-how should propel the long-overdue improvements to Siri. Rockwell’s appointment should signal to everyone that Apple is committed to making those much-needed improvements to its virtual assistant a top priority.
Unfulfilled Promises and Future Plans
Apple set high expectations for Siri’s improvements at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024. These improvements are still a long way off, and the market and experts in the industry are still looking forward to those improvements. Even when Apple stumbles, it continues to make progress by holding its feet to the fire on its commitments. The schedule for Siri’s improvements is stretched out until 2027. This doesn’t mean that the company has any less focus on making Siri’s capabilities broader and deeper, making it a better overall AI assistant with an edge.
A New Chapter for Siri
The restructuring of Siri's leadership marks a new chapter in Apple's journey to refine its virtual assistant. By putting Mike Rockwell in charge, Apple hopes to bring new talent and tactics to the development process. While Rockwell's lack of AI expertise raises questions, his leadership experience and critical insights may prove pivotal in driving Siri towards the advancements that users have long awaited. As Apple continues to prioritize these upgrades, the tech giant remains steadfast in its mission to revolutionize AI experiences on its devices.
