Apple is planning a comprehensive overhaul of its virtual assistant Siri, with a strong emphasis on privacy, according to a new report. The company has been promising for two years to introduce entirely new capabilities that require a system revamp. These features include understanding users' personal context, such as asking when someone's flight lands and having the system identify the person and retrieve travel details.
Challenges and Delays
The overhaul and Apple's broader artificial intelligence efforts have encountered numerous problems, leading to delays or failures in delivering many features, including changes to Siri. However, the company is now rumored to launch the new version at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) next month.
Privacy as a Differentiator
The new Siri will offer a range of features, but Apple hopes its focus on privacy will set it apart from competitors that rely more heavily on AI. According to a Bloomberg report, users will be able to automatically delete chat histories after 30 days or one year. While other chatbots allow deletion and temporary conversations, their privacy policies are often less transparent, and chat histories may be saved for years or used to train models, potentially storing personal data.
Chat histories can be useful for personalizing answers and providing context, but Apple has faced criticism that its strict privacy stance compromises some AI features due to less user data. The company maintains that privacy and robust AI can coexist.
Additional Changes
Other rumored updates include a standalone Siri app for viewing conversations and a redesigned interface for interacting with the assistant.
