Apple’s Siri Struggle: How ChatGPT Upended Cupertino’s AI Ambitions
Apple, once the undisputed leader in consumer tech innovation, now finds itself scrambling to catch up in the artificial intelligence race—a crisis laid bare by the company’s ongoing Siri struggles. A series of delays, leadership shakeups, and technical setbacks have left the iPhone maker years behind rivals, with its much-hyped “Apple Intelligence” platform and a next-generation Siri still far from reality (Bloomberg).
ChatGPT: The Shock That Changed Everything
The turning point came in late 2022, when OpenAI’s ChatGPT burst onto the scene. According to Bloomberg, Apple’s leadership was blindsided by the chatbot’s capabilities. Craig Federighi, Apple’s software chief, personally experienced ChatGPT’s power and realized Apple needed to act fast (Heise, Times of India, Hindustan Times). Until then, Apple Intelligence wasn’t even on the roadmap—ChatGPT’s rapid ascent forced Apple into a reactive sprint to develop its own AI features.
Technical Turmoil: Siri’s Split Personality
At the heart of Apple’s troubles is the challenge of merging Siri’s old, rule-based architecture with new large language model (LLM) technology. Internally, Siri had been split into two systems: one for basic commands and another for advanced AI responses. Attempts to fuse these systems led to cascading bugs and performance issues, described by employees as a game of “whack-a-mole” (Perplexity, Heise). Features showcased at WWDC 2024, such as enhanced voice search and personal information queries, failed in real-world tests, prompting embarrassing delays and indefinite postponements of key updates (Times of India, Hindustan Times).
Leadership Shakeups and Morale Crisis
The technical failures were compounded by leadership woes. John Giannandrea, hired from Google in 2018 to lead Apple’s AI transformation, struggled to integrate with Apple’s culture and lost the confidence of CEO Tim Cook. In March 2025, Giannandrea was replaced by Vision Pro head Mike Rockwell, who now reports directly to Federighi (South China Morning Post). Morale within the Siri and AI teams plummeted, with staff describing the situation as a “sinking ship” and openly questioning the company’s direction (Heise, Times of India).
Apple’s Recovery Plan: LLM Siri and New Strategies
Despite the setbacks, Apple is not giving up. A dedicated team in Zurich is working on “LLM Siri,” a ground-up rewrite of the assistant using advanced language models, aiming to deliver more natural, ChatGPT-style conversations (Perplexity, Silicon UK). However, this overhaul is now delayed until at least 2027, with the first phase—focused on backend integration—expected in iOS 19.4 in 2026 and no major user-facing improvements until iOS 20 or later.
To manage expectations, Apple plans to stop announcing features before they are ready and will separate Siri from its broader “Apple Intelligence” branding, acknowledging that Siri’s reputation has become a liability (Times of India, Hindustan Times).
In the EU, Apple will allow users to choose third-party assistants, further signaling a shift in strategy (Hindustan Times).
The Stakes: More Than Just Siri
Apple’s struggles with Siri and AI threaten more than just its voice assistant—they cast a shadow over the company’s ability to compete in the next era of computing. Internal sources warn that the dominance of the iPhone and future technologies like robotics could be at risk if Apple fails to deliver on its AI promises (Heise, Times of India). As one senior team member put it: “This is a crisis. It’s been sinking for a long time” (Times of India).
Looking Ahead
With WWDC 2025 on the horizon, Apple is expected to focus on major software redesigns rather than Siri upgrades, a tacit admission of the challenges it faces (Times of India, Hindustan Times). The company is betting that a renewed, more cautious approach—and a complete overhaul of its AI infrastructure—can eventually restore its reputation as an innovator. But for now, Apple remains in catch-up mode, racing to deliver an AI assistant worthy of its legacy.
