Tim Cook gets a second bite at the AI apple

Can Siri do more than ruin the best part of a song by telling you to turn? We’ll find out this week at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), where the company is expected to debut a revamped version of its digital voice assistant, along with some other AI-powered improvements. What’s on the line? Only CEO Tim Cook’s legacy.

A Siri of unfortunate events: It’s been 15 years since Apple debuted its virtual assistant, and lately, it’s been feeling even older. While ChatGPT and Claude vibe-code their way through Silicon Valley, Siri has been relegated to glorified kitchen timer status. That’s why Apple announced it would be injecting the feature with some AI horsepower…in 2024. Now, after a series of delays, we’re finally expected to see the fruits of Apple’s labor. Per Bloomberg:

• Siri will be powered by Google’s Gemini model.
• It’s expected to get its own standalone chatbot app.
• Siri will be able to handle multistep instructions; work across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS; and perform actions within certain apps.

A last chapter for the Cook book

This year’s WWDC, which runs until Friday, is Cook’s last as CEO. And despite his undeniable track record of optimizing operations and building shareholder value, he’s got an AI-shaped hole on his résumé.

While every other tech company on Earth seemed to be announcing gajillion-dollar AI deals, Cook took a more cautious approach. But after Apple Intelligence, the company’s previous foray into AI, tripped over the starting gate, Cook dialed up the intensity and took a more hands-on role than he usually does, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported.

Tern the page: Building a solid AI foundation would also be a nice parting gift for Cook to give incoming CEO John Ternus, who takes over in September.—BC