- Apple’s Siri assistant is set to get a major upgrade this summer
- Apple revealed AI features for its Voice Control accessibility tool
- This could hint at agent powers coming to Siri in iOS 27
Apple is expected to relaunch Siri at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 8, equipping the virtual assistant with long-awaited artificial intelligence (AI). We don’t yet know exactly how all of these new features will work, but Apple may have just given us a fascinating demo that hints at the potential agent capabilities of Apple devices.
This hint came as part of Apple’s recent roundup of new accessibility features powered by Apple Intelligence. Apple described the announcement as a “preview,” which suggests the features could arrive as part of iOS 27 later this year.
While Apple has revealed many upcoming features, one has gotten more attention than the others. It’s called Voice Control, and as the name suggests, it lets you operate your Apple device simply by speaking to it. This feature itself isn’t new, and previously you had to be quite specific, remembering the exact name or location of the on-screen element you wanted to control.
But with the upcoming arrival of Apple Intelligence in the equation, everything will change. As Apple explained, voice control will be augmented by natural language, making it “more intuitive than ever.” The iOS 27 update will allow more flexibility in how you use voice control: saying things like “tap the best restaurants guide” or “tap the purple folder” will work where they wouldn’t have before. And it could have a huge impact on Siri.
The original promise of Apple Intelligence
Right now, Siri feels quite limited in what it can do, especially when compared to some of the best AI agents that can perform tasks on your behalf. But if Apple’s accessibility preview is to be believed, that could soon change.
Imagine being able to tell Siri exactly what you want without having to worry about using the exact terms and phrases it understands, and then having Siri go off and do those tasks for you. That’s the original promise of Apple Intelligence when it was unveiled in 2024, when Apple told us that Siri would be able to know your personal context, work in apps, and understand what’s on your screen. None of these features are available yet, but as the Voice Control upgrade implies, they could be right around the corner.
We’ll know for sure when WWDC begins on June 8, but I have a good idea of what’s to come. If Apple’s accessibility news is to be believed, we might finally get the AI-powered Siri we were promised almost two years ago.
Follow TechRadar on Google News And add us as your favorite source to get our news, reviews and expert opinions in your feeds.
