Apple’s Tim Cook opens WWDC26 with keynote today with AI, software updates in focus

Apple’s Tim Cook opens WWDC26 with keynote today with AI, software updates in focus

Apple unveiled a sweeping Siri overhaul, announcing a new AI-powered version of the assistant and a dedicated Siri app that lets users return to previous conversations across Apple devices.

The new Siri, powered by Apple Intelligence, will be more conversational and better able to handle multi-step requests, the company boasted.

Siri AI will not be “more intelligent, knowledgeable, and capable,” according to Senior VP Craig Federighi.

The assistant can draw on personal context, app actions, on-screen awareness, image understanding and broader world knowledge to answer questions and complete tasks across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Vision Pro.

“Siri is now a profoundly more capable assistant that helps you find what you need and gets more done,” Apple’s Siri chief Mike Rockwell said.

Users will still be able to access Siri the familiar way, including by saying “Hey Siri,” but the assistant will now support richer back-and-forth conversations.

Apple also showed Siri helping plan a World Cup watch party, pulling in web information, a message about a dessert, a group chat and a drafted invitation.

A dedicated Siri app will make it easier to revisit detailed responses or start new conversations.

Conversation history will sync privately through iCloud, allowing users to start a Siri chat on iPhone, continue it on iPad and finish it on Mac.

Key details in the reveal:

– Apple introduced an “entirely new version of Siri” powered by Apple Intelligence.

– The new Siri includes personal context, app actions, on-screen awareness, image understanding and access to world knowledge.

– A dedicated Siri app will show conversational history and allow users to revisit prior exchanges.

– Siri conversations will sync privately with iCloud across iPhone, iPad and Mac.

– Siri is being integrated into Spotlight on macOS.

– Users will be able to ask Siri about selected images, files or text through systemwide context menus.

– Siri will support richer conversations, in-depth plans, brainstorming and document feedback.

– Siri will get a new design, more expressive voices and more accurate systemwide dictation.

– Siri updates will extend to CarPlay, AirPods, Apple Watch, iPadOS, macOS and visionOS.

– A new Siri camera mode on iPhone will let users ask questions about what they see and take related actions.

– Visual intelligence will also come to Mac, iPad and Vision Pro.

– Siri will be able to help draft, edit, proofread and give feedback on writing across the system.

– Siri AI will launch in English first, with more languages to follow.

– On Vision Pro, Apple said users will be able to interact with a 3D visualization of Siri and start speaking simply by looking at it, without saying “Hey Siri.”

– On iPhone, the company said a new Siri mode in the Camera app will let users point their device at an object, get information and take actions, such as pulling nutritional insights from a plate of food or helping split a bill with Apple Cash.

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