Apple's AI Struggles and Siri's Stagnation

If you’ve been following Apple’s journey, you know the tech giant is lagging in the AI race. Their highly touted Apple Intelligence arrived tardily alongside the iPhone 16, and sadly, the revamped Siri that was promised at WWDC 2024 has not lived up to expectations. Although Siri got a facelift and some new features thanks to ChatGPT integration, the ability to understand personal context—like emails, messages, and calendar events—has faced indefinite delays.

Siri’s Historical Reputation

But even if Apple manages to enhance Siri, would anyone actually use it? Once hailed as a groundbreaking feature, Siri has become a punchline among iPhone users, overshadowed by superior competitors like Google Assistant and Alexa. If Apple wants to revitalize interest, it may need to consider a bold move—rebooting the Siri name entirely.

Learning from Google's Playbook

Google has demonstrated that it’s unafraid to pull the plug on projects that aren’t resonating with users. Its history of shuttering unsuccessful services is so extensive that there’s even a dedicated website tracking their ‘graveyards.’ The latest victim? Google Assistant, which is gradually being phased out from multiple platforms.

The Fall of Google Assistant

After nearly a decade, Google Assistant is set to disappear by 2026—no longer a default feature on Android phones and even getting replaced on Wear OS smartwatches and Android Auto. This move speaks volumes about the evolving landscape of voice-assisted technology.

A New Era of Voice Assistants?

Enter Gemini, Google's ambitious successor. This ultra-capable assistant is not just about setting timers; it can dissect your emails to find your kid's soccer game location or analyze massive documents. Unlike the outdated Google Assistant, Gemini aims for enhanced privacy without sacrificing functionality.

Apple's Missed Opportunities

Despite Apple's name recognition and cultural impact—who hasn’t heard Siri mentioned in popular media?—it seems to be lagging behind. The high hopes Apple had for Siri's evolution are dissipating, leaving many users frustrated with its sluggish performance. A marketing blitz for Apple Intelligence could have been the perfect opportunity to launch an upgraded Siri, but instead, users are left with questions.

User Interface Challenges

The larger problem plaguing AI assistants isn’t just their branding—it’s the user interface. Chris Harrison, an expert from Carnegie Mellon, likens the struggle to when command-line computing transitioned to graphical user interfaces (GUIs) in the late 20th century. While GUIs made technology accessible, today’s voice assistants still leave users befuddled.

The Call for a New Name and Approach

Imagine asking someone to interact with Gemini or even ChatGPT without any guidance—they’d probably just stare at the screen. Many users have been using Siri for simple tasks like checking the weather; expecting them to adapt to new capabilities overnight is unrealistic. A name change could help usher in a rebranding, but changing user perception will take time.

The Road Ahead

Saying farewell to Siri could be painful for Apple, which has invested over a decade into its development. However, most users currently rely on it for basic functions, not pushing its capabilities to their limits. As Chris Harrison puts it, for the vast majority of people, this AI revolution remains a mystery—and overcoming that inertia will require time, education, and perhaps, a fresh start.