Apple’s iOS 27 could be Siri’s biggest AI reinvention yet

There’s a new Siri on the horizon, and we’re getting a better look — literally — at how Apple’s new AI assistant will look and perform when it’s unveiled later this year.

In a new report by Bloombergthe news outlet created illustrations showing what Siri could look like with the launch of iOS 27, the updated operating system for iPhones. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman also explained how people will be able to use Siri, which will transform from an interactive assistant (for individual written tasks) into an AI-based chatbot, capable of managing complex workflows without the need for step-by-step instructions.

Apple is scheduled to launch iOS 27 in mid-September and could discuss updates at its meeting Worldwide Developers ConferenceScheduled for June 8-12.

“The images are based on information seen by Bloomberg and people with knowledge of the company’s plans who requested anonymity because the program has not yet been made public,” Gorman wrote.

An Apple representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Siri will look, feel and work differently after the launch of iOS 27. Gorman said it will live inside Dynamic Island, always available to help iPhone users answer questions and perform tasks in the operating system and apps.

The Dynamic Island is a wide, pill-shaped area at the top of the Home screen on some iPhone models, where you can see system alerts, apps running in the background, track rideshares, and food deliveries. Dynamic Island is available on iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, and all iPhone 15, 16, and 17 models.

You’ll be able to trigger Siri on iPhone in different ways, Gorman said. The original method — saying “Hey Siri” or holding down the power button — will activate Siri animations in Dynamic Island and is still ideal for voice queries and searches.

The second way to turn on Siri is completely new. By swiping down from the top center of your iPhone to launch the Search or Ask interface, you can either type or speak your question or command. When Siri responds, the results will appear in a text card that pops up from the Dynamic Island. You can scroll down further to start a conversation with the Siri chatbot, Gorman said.

In the search or question field, iPhone users will be able to choose other AI agents to handle their queries, Gorman said. A drop-down list of AI agents, such as ChatGPT or Gemini, will appear when people click a button. Apple has partnered with OpenAI for ChatGPT and has also tested integration of Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude with Siri, Gorman said.

The new Search or Ask group will also include the weather panel and Siri Suggestions, which already exist on iPhones and typically display eight of your most frequently used apps, Gorman said.

Gorman said the notification center isn’t going away. Currently, you can access it by swiping down from the top left or top center, but with iOS 27, you will only get it by swiping down from the top left.

New Siri app capabilities

As mentioned earlier, Siri will no longer be limited to answering rudimentary questions or performing typical tasks, like calling someone or operating smart home devices. Gorman said the new Siri will be more AI capable, using in part Google’s Gemini technology, to search the web and analyze on-screen content.

There will also be a dedicated Siri app, following in the footsteps of other on-phone AI apps like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude.

According to Gorman, the Siri home screen will display your conversation history, allowing you to go back to previous chats. You’ll be able to use voice or text to talk to Siri, as well as upload documents and photos for Siri to analyze.

Gorman said Siri will display rich text cards to people asking about news, weather forecasts and sports scores, but it will also display results based on a person’s data, such as texts, emails, appointments and more.

Siri will be able to write emails or text messages based on information from the Internet and your device, Gorman said. Siri will also be able to scan your appointment calendar to let you know when you’re booked or available.

Siri will also be integrated into the iPhone’s camera app, enabling people to analyze it with a different AI agent or via Google Search, as they can now with Google Lens, Gorman said.

That being said, Siri won’t do everything

in Another report of informationApple will use WWDC to show how iPhones can handle many AI queries on-device, without relying entirely on external data centers and the cloud, thanks to chips used in iPhones, Macs, and Apple Watches.

However, the report said that Siri will not be able to handle all AI queries. More complex things will be transferred to Gemini, who CNET reported on this before. This two-pronged approach will help Apple show that it values ​​customer privacy through on-device AI functionality, and will also save money by not having to build massive data centers, the information report said.

Google’s Gemini will train a smaller AI model that can run on Apple devices, the report said.