Apple’s AI-Powered Siri Upgrade Delayed Again — What’s the Hold-Up?

If you’ve been waiting for Apple’s smarter, AI-powered version of Siri, you’ll need to wait a bit longer. The company has now pushed the expected launch to spring 2026, nearly two years later than originally planned. It’s a pretty big shift, especially considering that the upgrade was first announced in June 2024, with promises of a release that same fall.

Technical Roadblocks

So, what happened? Like most things in tech, the answer isn’t simple. According to reports, Apple has run into some tough technical roadblocks. The company is trying to transform Siri using large language models (LLMs) — the technology behind AI tools like ChatGPT—so Siri can understand questions more naturally and respond more human-likely. But it turns out that integrating this into Apple’s famously private and secure ecosystem is a lot more complicated than expected.

Internal Restructuring

Behind the scenes, the company has also gone through some restructuring. Teams were reshuffled, and Siri’s core systems had to be rebuilt from scratch to handle the demands of modern AI. At Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), software chief Craig Federighi explained that they simply needed more time to meet their quality standards. CEO Tim Cook also confirmed the delay, saying progress is happening, just slower than they’d hoped.

A Slower, Steadier Approach

While some tech companies like Google and Microsoft have already rolled out their AI assistants, Apple is choosing to take a more cautious approach. Instead of racing to be first, they’re focused on getting it right — even if it means waiting longer.

What to Expect

A limited preview of Siri’s new features might still be coming later this year, but the full rollout won’t happen until 2026. It’s a frustrating delay for some, but if Apple’s track record tells us anything, it’s that they usually deliver — even if they take their time doing it.