Siri gets advanced email and AI features

iPhone users are gearing up for a major update to Apple’s digital assistant Siri, which will soon allow sending and deleting emails using voice commands.

This update is part of a broader rollout of new artificial intelligence (AI) features for Apple’s iOS smartphone operating system, as the company aims to compete with Google’s advanced AI tools.

Apple will reportedly announce a partnership with OpenAI to improve Siri’s intelligence and functionality. The voice assistant, which debuted more than a decade ago, will soon control more app functions, including sending and deleting emails and generating AI-driven “smart replies,” according to AppleInsider.

In addition to email improvements, Apple plans to introduce new AI tools to the Photos app, including a “Clean” tool that uses AI to remove unwanted objects or blemishes from photos. The Notes app is also expected to get a refresh with features that enable voice transcriptions and summaries.

Apple is calling its new AI offering “Apple Intelligence,” according to Bloomberg. Among other updates, the tech giant plans to introduce AI-generated emojis.

Since Siri’s launch as a “modest personal assistant” in 2011, it hasn’t achieved the widespread popularity Apple had hoped for. Currently, users rely mainly on Siri for simple tasks, such as dictating text messages or checking the weather, rather than as a comprehensive digital assistant.

In contrast, rivals like Microsoft and Google have significantly improved their digital assistants over the past two years, especially with the integration of chatbots like ChatGPT. These AI-powered tools are increasingly being integrated into smartphones with voice and video capabilities.

Apple’s expected deal with OpenAI, the developer behind ChatGPT, aims to make Siri more chatty and capable. The company hopes these improvements will boost smartphone sales, which recently experienced their sharpest decline in three years.

The new updates to Apple’s iOS software will be announced at the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in California at 6 p.m. These improvements are expected to represent a significant step forward in Apple’s AI capabilities, providing users with more advanced and intuitive digital assistant features.