Apple Revolutionizes Siri with Siri AI, but Europe Remains on the Sidelines

Apple Unveils Siri AI at WWDC 2026

At the annual WWDC 2026 conference, Apple emphasized artificial intelligence, announcing a major overhaul of its voice assistant. Siri, now rebranded as Siri AI, embodies this new era, but European iPhone users will have to wait before enjoying these updates.

Every year, WWDC serves as the stage for Apple's strategic software announcements. In 2026, artificial intelligence is at the forefront of the company's concerns. With the launch of Siri AI, the enhancement of Apple Foundation Models, and a strengthened collaboration with Google Gemini, Apple asserts its intention to dominate the AI sector while emphasizing user privacy. However, the rollout of these innovations will be gradual, and European users will have to wait.

A New Dimension for Siri AI

The most notable change is undoubtedly the rebranding of Siri to Siri AI, accompanied by a dedicated app. This choice clearly shows that Apple aims to give its assistant a central place in its ecosystem, comparable to that of native apps. Siri AI becomes more conversational, capable of following the thread of a discussion without requiring constant rephrasing from the user. Thanks to private synchronization via iCloud, it is possible to start a conversation on a Mac and continue it on an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or Apple Vision Pro.

Devices equipped with the most advanced on-device models, such as the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, iPad M4 or newer, Mac M3 or newer, and Apple Vision Pro M5, benefit from more expressive and customizable voices. Voice dictation makes a significant leap forward with automatic punctuation, capitalization, and real-time formatting management.

Two new features mark a break from the old Siri. First, the ability to read the screen in real-time allows Siri AI to understand context without the user needing to describe or copy-paste information. Siri AI can also analyze messages, emails, and photos to enrich its responses or connect to the web for up-to-date information. All of this is done under the Privacy First banner, thanks to Apple's Private Cloud Compute, ensuring that sensitive data does not transit in clear text to third-party servers.

The Infrastructure Behind Apple Intelligence

Apple now relies on two pillars to power its artificial intelligence: the Apple Foundation Models and a collaboration with Google Gemini. The Apple Foundation Models, developed in-house, operate directly on the device without going through remote servers. Meanwhile, the collaboration with Google Gemini, announced last January, allows for processing certain more complex queries in the cloud.

This hybrid architecture enables Apple to offer advanced AI capabilities while upholding its promise of privacy through local processing. Apple also unveiled a second proprietary language model designed to enhance natural language understanding and dictation performance. This model incorporates multimodal capabilities, including image understanding and visual generation. Some image generation features are subject to daily usage limits, with expanded access available through iCloud+ subscriptions.

Siri AI Integrates into the Apple Ecosystem

Apple takes the integration of Siri AI further by embedding it directly into the Dynamic Island of the iPhone. A simple swipe up from the bottom of the screen triggers the conversation from the Dynamic Island, and an additional swipe opens the Siri AI app. On macOS, Siri AI integrates into Spotlight, allowing users to ask questions and engage in full conversations in a movable window. A right-click on a selection of files allows for direct inquiries about the relevant documents. On watchOS, Siri AI is available via voice and through a dedicated app, confirming Apple's intention to make it an omnipresent assistant.

Apple is also extending the capabilities of Visual Intelligence beyond the iPhone. On iPad, the feature integrates into the screenshot capture experience. On Mac, a dedicated keyboard shortcut allows users to select any item on the screen and query Siri directly. On iPhone, Siri AI integrates into the Camera app with a dedicated mode, allowing Siri to see what the lens captures and act accordingly.

A Personalized Writing Assistant

Apple enhances the writing capabilities of Siri AI, which integrates more deeply with applications and gradually learns the user's style. Siri AI can proofread text, provide feedback, and suggest rephrasings. Automatic proofreading is available across all applications, including third-party apps. In Mail and Messages, Siri learns the user's style by recipient so that the generated drafts closely match their natural writing style.

These writing features will be available in English at launch, with other languages to follow. Apple specifies that Apple Intelligence will be supported in a total of sixteen languages, including French.

Limited Deployment in Europe

Siri AI will be available in beta this year for users configured in English, with rapid expansion to other languages. However, due to the Digital Markets Act, Siri AI will not be available on iOS and iPadOS in the European Union at the launch of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27. Craig Federighi, Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, expressed his disappointment regarding this situation.

Apple claims to have proposed several solutions to European regulators, without success. The company had designed a solution called Trusted System Agent, allowing other virtual assistants to access the same features as Siri AI securely. However, the European Commission rejected this proposal. Apple explains that the regulators' interpretation of the DMA would require the company to grant near-unlimited access to users' personal data, a risk it refuses to take.

European users will still be able to access Siri AI on macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27. Developers based in the EU will not be able to test the new Siri AI features for their apps on iOS and iPadOS. China is also excluded from the initial deployment, as Apple works to meet local regulatory requirements. No timeline has been provided for these regions.