Apple Intelligence starts again, Siri AI set to deliver what was promised in 2024

Apple has used its annual Worldwide Developers Conference to show off the next big steps for Apple Intelligence, with a clear focus on making Siri smarter, more personal, and more useful in everyday life.

And this time, Apple didn’t just talk about it – they showed it working.

Two years ago, Apple announced Apple Intelligence with a lot of big promises. The idea was simple enough: your iPhone, iPad and Mac would become smarter, understand more about you, and help you get things done faster.

But one of the most exciting parts of that promise has still not properly arrived for users.

That feature is called Personal Context, and while the name sounds a bit techy, the idea is very easy to understand.

It means Siri should be able to help you based on things already sitting on your iPhone – like messages, emails, photos, calendar events and files.

So instead of you having to remember where someone sent you a piece of information, you could just ask Siri.

For example, you might ask: “What time does Mum’s flight arrive?” Even if that detail was only mentioned in a text message a few days ago, Siri should be able to find it and give you the answer.

That’s the dream Apple has been selling.

Now, Apple is trying to show that dream is finally getting closer.

During today’s WWDC Keynote, the company gave a much more focused presentation than we’ve seen in some previous years. Rather than racing through hundreds of tiny new features, Apple centred its announcements around three main ideas: making devices faster, improving safety features, and pushing Apple Intelligence forward.

The Apple Intelligence part is what really matters here.

Apple showed a new version of Siri that appears to understand more natural questions and can pull together useful answers from different parts of your device.

That could mean asking about a sporting event, finding information from a message, or helping with something you know is somewhere on your phone but can’t be bothered searching for yourself.

In other words, Siri may finally become the assistant we always hoped it would be.

For years, Siri has been one of the most recognisable voice assistants in the world, but also one of the most frustrating. It was first to market in many ways, but Google and Amazon’s assistants have often felt more capable.

Apple’s pitch now is that Siri can become more useful because it knows your device, your apps and your information — while still keeping your private data protected.

Privacy was a major theme of the presentation.

Apple was keen to make the point that even though it is using powerful AI technology from Google, that doesn’t mean your personal iPhone data is being handed over to Google.

Instead, Apple says the AI will run either directly on your device or through Apple’s own secure private cloud compute system.

That distinction matters because Apple is trying to offer something different from many other AI products. The company wants users to believe they can have smarter AI features without giving up control of their personal information.

But for most everyday iPhone users, the big question is simple: will Apple Intelligence actually make my phone better?

Based on what Apple showed, the answer could finally be yes.

The new Siri features look like they could save time, reduce searching, and make the iPhone feel more helpful in normal, everyday situations.

But there is still one big catch — Apple has to deliver it properly.

Apple Intelligence was first announced with plenty of excitement, but many users are still waiting for the most useful parts. So while this latest announcement is promising, the real test will come when these features are available on people’s actual devices.

Testing for Apple’s new software updates begins now, with a public beta expected in July. The full rollout for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac users is expected in September.

For Apple, this is a very important moment.

The company has been accused of falling behind in the AI race. Competitors have moved quickly, and consumers are now hearing about AI everywhere — from phones and search engines to computers and apps.

Apple’s answer is not to make AI feel like a separate product. Its goal is to make AI quietly useful inside the devices people already own.

That means less “look at this amazing AI trick” and more “Siri, help me find that thing I need.”

And honestly, that might be exactly what normal people want from AI.

Not another chatbot. Not another app. Just a smarter iPhone.

Trevor Long travelled to the USA as a guest of Apple