Apple’s new CEO John Ternus is reportedly pushing the company to move faster on artificial intelligence, with plans to turn Siri into a more advanced assistant that can handle tasks without constant instructions from users.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in his latest Sunday Power On newsletter, Ternus recently held a private meeting with software chief Craig Federighi, urging him to take a more ambitious approach to AI development.
People familiar with the situation say Ternus is frustrated with Apple’s cautious approach, particularly as competitors introduce assistants capable of working independently.
Federighi has reportedly been more skeptical of AI, raising concerns about privacy, security and its broader impact. Some employees have also expressed frustration with his management style, which they believe can limit competing ideas. Despite those concerns, Federighi helped deliver Apple’s revamped Siri after years of delays.
The company is now preparing more advanced Siri features through iOS 27.3, including the ability to organize Safari tabs, edit messages and perform multiple actions in Photos.
Gurman says support for these features in Apple’s own apps could arrive as early as December, while deeper integration with third-party apps may follow next spring.
Sources also suggest Apple eventually wants Siri to operate more like an autonomous AI agent, capable of completing ongoing tasks without users issuing individual commands. Gurman believes that shift could begin as early as 2027.
Meanwhile, Siri engineering executive Mike Rockwell is reportedly considering leaving his position or Apple entirely next year, potentially creating another leadership change.
Siri AI still remains woefully underpowered when compared to the likes of Meta’s Muse and Grok Bot. An Apple AI agent powered by Siri would be welcome, but the company is far behind in the AI race it’s hard to see them catch up.
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