Apple Executive Criticizes AI Delays in Siri as ‘Embarrassing’

Robbie Walker, the senior director overseeing Siri at Apple, described the delays in releasing key AI features for the voice assistant as “ugly and embarrassing.” This was reported by Bloomberg, citing sources.

The top executive made these sharp comments during a general meeting of the division’s employees. He noted that the team is going through a challenging period, with no timeline for launching new tools.

Previously, Apple postponed the addition of new AI features in Siri to 2026. The launch was initially expected in spring 2025.

Walker characterized the delay as particularly “ugly” because Apple had already publicly demonstrated the upcoming features.

“This is not one of those situations where we show people our plan after it’s ready. We showed it earlier. Worse still, the marketing department wanted to promote these enhancements,” he noted.

During the presentation of Apple Intelligence in June 2024, the corporation showcased new capabilities of the voice assistant: it can switch between multiple apps to perform various tasks, such as planning a dinner after a flight lands.

Walker praised the team for developing “incredibly impressive” features and promised to deliver the best-in-class virtual assistant to consumers, Bloomberg highlighted.

“I have seen how many people have given their all to make this happen, and together we have made incredible progress,” he emphasized.

The director expressed doubts about the release of new AI features for Siri in iOS 19. According to him, the company has several development priorities and will need to find compromises. Decisions on timelines will be made “on a case-by-case basis” as work progresses on products planned for the next year.

“Customers are waiting not only for these new features but also for a more advanced Siri. We are going to release these and other tools as they become ready,” he said.

The decision to delay the introduction of new AI services is related to their performance quality, the agency writes. The company found that the technology functions correctly 80% of the time.

Back in September 2024, Apple held a presentation of new gadgets, including the iPhone 16 lineup with support for Apple Intelligence artificial intelligence. It was claimed that “the new generation of smartphones is designed for AI from the ground up.”