Apple Pushes for More Agentic Siri as Siri AI Chief Weighs Stepping Back

Apple CEO John Ternus is pressing AI chief Craig Federighi to accelerate the Siri roadmap and deliver a powerful AI agent that can compete with OpenAI's Dots and Meta's Muse, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Federighi delivered a functional Siri AI on a short timeline, but the company does not believe it is keeping pace with rivals, and Gurman expects Siri could become meaningfully more agentic as early as next year.

The improvements described include finer control of Apple's own apps, such as rotating and cropping photos and managing Safari tabs. Timelines differ across reports: The Verge described these upgrades as coming in the months ahead, while AppleInsider reported that broader control of Apple apps will not arrive until spring 2027.

Leadership is also in flux. Mike Rockwell, who led development of Vision Pro before taking over Siri AI, is reportedly considering leaving his role as head of Siri AI, possibly during 2027, and may leave Apple altogether, which could prompt a reshuffle of executive responsibilities.

What to watch for AAPL: official confirmation of Siri feature timing, any announced change in Siri AI leadership, and whether Apple can narrow the perceived gap with OpenAI and Meta in AI assistants.