It is rumored that iOS 18 will contain major improvements to Siri

In iOS 18, Apple plans to use language models to make Siri smarter, according to the company the information. Apple wants ‌Siri‌ to be able to help users automate complex, multi-step tasks using voice commands.

For example, ‌Siri‌ might be able to do something like take a series of five photos, turn them into a GIF, and send the resulting GIF to a friend, all as a single action. It is now possible to automatically convert images to a GIF using the Shortcuts app, but it must be set up manually.

‌Siri‌ functionality will be similar to what is possible with the Shortcuts app, potentially seeing ‌Siri‌ more deeply integrated with Shortcuts. Shortcuts have become an essential part of the iPhone operating system and can be used for some powerful automated actions. Apple maintains a gallery of shortcut options for everything from removing backgrounds from photos to creating routine to-do lists.

the information Apple says Apple aims to release the new ‌Siri‌ capabilities as part of the ‌iPhone‌ operating system next year, suggesting it will be part of iOS 18. Apple rival Google is also upgrading Google Assistant with language model software capable of handling More complex tasks, so Apple may want to beat Google or at least release similar functionality around the same time.

Apple’s personal assistant ‌Siri‌ has long been criticized for being behind voice assistants from other companies like Google and Alexa, mainly due to Apple’s focus on security and privacy. Many of ‌Siri‌’s tasks are performed on the device rather than through a cloud server, so Apple will need to find a balance between privacy and functionality by adopting language models for ‌Siri‌.

The iOS 17 update, which is set to see a public release in just a couple of weeks, has very few new Siri functions, but one major function will serve as an introduction to multi-step tasks. ‌Siri‌ in ‌iOS 17‌ is able to recognize and respond to multiple consecutive requests without having to reactivate, which is not possible in iOS 16. You can, for example, ask ‌Siri‌ for the time and follow that up with a request to text my friend that you’ll be late without Two separate requests.

With ‌iOS 17‌, Apple is also eliminating the “Hey” wake-up word, so now you can just say “‌Siri‌” to activate the personal assistant. Omitting “Hey” allows for more natural ‌Siri‌ interactions.

Apple follows a strict schedule for its software releases, so we can expect to see the iOS 18 feature set revealed at Worldwide Developers Conference 2024.