Apple’s ongoing struggles with artificial intelligence have reached a breaking point, with a top executive describing Siri’s delayed enhancements as “ugly and embarrassing.” Robby Walker, Apple’s senior director overseeing Siri, reportedly made these comments during an internal meeting, acknowledging employee frustration over the setbacks.
The company initially aimed to roll out significant AI-powered upgrades for Siri this spring, but after persistent engineering issues and reliability concerns, the timeline has been pushed to at least 2026. The delays have left Apple struggling to keep pace with rivals like OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft, further exposing its weaknesses in the AI race.
Public Hype, Private Chaos
Apple first showcased these new Siri features at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) last June, promising a more intelligent assistant capable of deeper app control and personalized data analysis. However, according to Bloomberg, what Apple demonstrated was little more than a barely functioning prototype. Walker admitted during the meeting that Apple’s decision to promote the features before they were ready only worsened the situation, particularly as the marketing team went ahead with advertisements touting Siri’s supposed improvements.
The company had originally planned to launch the features as part of iOS 18.5 this spring but later pushed them to iOS 19 in 2026. Even now, Walker is not guaranteeing a firm release date, stating that priorities across Apple’s software and hardware divisions could shift.
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The decision to delay was driven by serious performance concerns. Apple engineers found that the new AI-powered features only worked correctly 66-80% of the time—meaning they failed at least once every three attempts. Apple’s software chief, Craig Federighi, reportedly raised concerns about the features’ reliability, ultimately leading to the postponement.
Walker acknowledged that the situation has left many employees feeling “angry, disappointed, burned out, and embarrassed.” Some staffers even admitted to feeling relieved about the delays, as they were uneasy about shipping an unfinished product. Despite the frustration, Walker praised the team for its efforts and insisted that the features would launch only when they met Apple’s high quality standards.
While Apple is not immediately planning to fire any top executives over the Siri debacle, internal restructuring is already underway. The company has assigned longtime executive Kim Vorrath—known for fixing troubled projects—to assist with the turnaround effort. Apple is also considering placing more senior leaders under John Giannandrea, the company’s AI chief, to accelerate progress.
What’s Next for Siri?
Despite the current turmoil, Apple is moving forward with other Siri-related improvements. iOS 18 will introduce a Type-to-Siri feature, enhanced Apple product knowledge, and improved language support. The company is also working to bring Apple Intelligence to China through partnerships with Alibaba and Baidu.
However, Apple’s long-term goal for Siri is far more ambitious. By 2027, the company aims to make Siri more conversational, positioning it as a true competitor to AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Google Gemini. Achieving this will require a complete infrastructure overhaul, with Walker stating that while some existing systems will remain, “there are meaningful things we will be changing.”
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Despite the setbacks, Walker ended the meeting on a hopeful note, promising that Apple will eventually “ship the world’s greatest virtual assistant.” However, given the challenges so far, that remains a distant goal rather than an imminent reality.