Apple is reportedly working on introducing an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered upgrade to its Siri voice assistant in the spring of 2026, following delays that caused it to miss the initial target of fall 2024.

The new Siri features may be showcased in the fall before being officially rolled out in the spring, as per Bloomberg's report on Thursday (June 12), citing anonymous sources.

When questioned about the release timeline, Apple stated that while an exact date has not been disclosed, it had previously mentioned that the Siri enhancements were slated for the 'upcoming year.'

In June 2024, Apple had initially revealed the features it intended to integrate into Siri, with plans to launch them in the fall of the same year, according to Bloomberg.

However, the company later postponed the targeted release to spring 2025 and then, in March, pushed it further to a later date, citing technical hurdles that necessitated a complete rebuild of Siri and reorganization of management roles within Apple.

During Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, Craig Federighi, the new head of engineering for Siri and software engineering chief, mentioned that more time was required to ensure the quality of the work, with additional details expected to be shared in the near future.

Apple CEO Tim Cook acknowledged on May 1, during the company's quarterly earnings call, that the AI capabilities of Siri needed more time for enhancement, as reported by PYMNTS.

When probed about the reasons for the delay, Cook attributed it to the extended timeline required for development, emphasizing the company's commitment to delivering high-quality features to its customers.

Recent reports from departing employees indicated that Apple encountered obstacles in updating Siri with advanced large language models (LLMs) that could offer more sophisticated responses to user queries.

Apple's cautious approach to generative AI innovation differs from competitors like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, who have been actively embracing LLMs and enterprise-scale AI solutions in more aggressive and experimental manners, as highlighted by PYMNTS.