How I Want “Siri 2.0” to Unlock Generative AI Magic on iPhone

Recently, Apple confirmed that Apple’s Generative AI features are coming later this year. Also, iOS 18 will onboard a smarter “Siri 2.0” largely fueled by AI capabilities. I can’t keep calm to get a drift of how Siri 2.0 will unleash Generative AI magic. I often use Siri on my iPhone in my daily routine, and I feel there’s so much Apple can play around with to impress its users. Since the major players in this space have already taken the lead, it’s high time for Apple to step on the accelerator and reach newer heights. Since we are still a few months out from learning about the AI features, I have come up with 5 features I want to see in the new Siri. Here’s a sneak peek into my Siri 2.0 wishlist!

1. Natural and Better Interactions

Let’s face it. Siri is a pretty useful voice assistant that understands your commands and executes them. However, the generated responses feel a little mechanical. And, it still cannot retain the context of the conversation for seamless continuity. I so badly want Siri 2.0 to turn these around. I expect the next-gen Siri to be smart enough to deliver human-like responses and create content like ChatGPT and other AI chatbots.

The latest AI-driven chat tools can make you feel as if you’re talking to a human, not a computer program. They can answer your questions, suggest catchy ideas, and facilitate a wide range of tasks. The best examples would be Google Gemini (formerly Bard) and Microsoft Copilot. Both AI chatbots can generate content, and help you write emails, business plans, blog posts, bedtime stories for your kids, and whatnot. If you’re a coder, you can also ask the AI tool to write code for you or explain complex code snippets.

And, what I am doing with Siri? Setting my alarms, sending messages, and using Siri to read web articles. Unarguably, Gemini and Copilot have already taken a lead in this space. With Siri 2.0, I want Apple to join this league and show some miracles.

I wish Siri 2.0 would bring useful features like auto-summarise and auto-complete to the popular messaging and productivity apps. For instance, Siri should summarize a long news article or a lengthy research paper for me. Also, the Siri 2.0 should be smart enough to auto-complete sentences for me as I write. It should understand the context and generate predictions, allowing me to save time.

Moving on, I often pen down notes during meetings and discussions. Sometimes, I have to share them with my teammates. So, I usually have to re-write those pointers in a clean and formal manner and share them over Slack or email. I wish the all-new Siri would make this easier for me. When I take a photo of my hand-written notes, Siri should write a recap email based on it. Also, how about Siri generating captions for me for my vacation photo? I suck at captions. I hope Siri 2.0 is capable of understanding images and generating content based on them.

I’m not expecting Siri 2.0 to come up with something that’s not possible. I mean, come on Apple, the competition is already doing it. It’s 2024, and it’s high time that I see a smarter “smart assistant'” on my $1,000 iPhone. For now, I’m sticking with using Gemini AI on my iPhone.

2. Automate Complex Tasks

One of my most desired feature for Siri 2.0 would be the ability to automate complex tasks. Right now, if I have to automate a task on my iPhone, I have to use the Shortcuts app. Whether I want to enable the Low Power automatically or merge photos on my iPhone, the Shortcuts app is the only first-party option available at the moment.

I have to manually create a shortcut, add actions, and run it to perform the automation. I often wonder why Siri couldn’t do this for me. Now that Apple generative AI is coming, I expect Siri 2.0 to rise to a whole new level and do such stuff for me. 

I hope Apple deeply integrates the smarter Siri inside the Shortcuts app, making automation more automatic and seamless. It will not only ease and fasten tasks for me but also serve as an indispensable tool for casual users who aren’t into the “shortcuts” and “actions” era. I’ve often tried convincing my sister and some friends to automate tasks using the Shortcuts app. However, I’ve failed miserably, each time. I would hear a common excuse, “all of this is too complex and I don’t have time to watch videos every time I wish to set up a shortcut.”

Imagine Siri automating complex tasks for you. How cool it would be if I could just tell Siri to combine the last 3 photos for me. I hope you’re listening, Apple!

3. Adds a Personality to Conversation

Right now, you can choose from multiple Siri voices and accents like British, Indian, and more. However, they all feel robotic. Tell me if I’m lying. Apple’s iOS 17 offers Personal Voice which allows a user to train and use his voice to communicate with your friends and family. Although it works great for users who actually need it, I don’t prefer using it. I feel it’s more of an accessibility feature than an experience. It’s the Artificial Intelligence era, and I want Siri to be able to emulate personality.

For a natural and human-like conversation, Siri 2.0 should allow me to add a tone and personality to the voice. For instance, I could choose Siri’s voice to be quirky, sarcastic, or serious. How fun it would be to get answers in their true personality. Siri can easily learn this from user-personalised voice data that we feed in. For example, if I train Siri in Gen Z lingo or a deep elderly voice, Siri should adapt to the exact tone and accent, and offer the same personality to conversations.

Even better, Siri should offer different conversation styles that mimic human-like discussions. I absolutely like Copilot’s conversation styles which let me choose between Creative, Balanced, and Precise styles to cater to different needs. I can use the Creative style to generate innovative responses, go for the Balanced style to get engaging and informative responses, and pick the Precise style for straightforward and crisp answers. Honestly, it adds a human touch and personality to the conversation. Damn, I crave this feature on Siri 2.0.

4. Connected Experiences

Next, let’s talk about the much-talked of Apple ecosystem. I often rely on multiple Apple devices in my everyday routine. I frequently juggle between my iPhones, MacBook, AirPods, and Apple Watch. While Siri offers a nice experience across my Apple gear, I want this experience to be more seamless and connected with the smarter Siri 2.0. Unarguably, cross-device functionality is the core essence of Apple’s voice assistant. I want this essence to have more fragrance with Siri 2.0.

Let me give you an example. I often have to transfer screenshots and images from my iPhone to my Mac for my articles. For that, I have to enable AirDrop on both devices and then manually share the selected images from my iPhone to my Mac. I expect Siri 2.0 to do this for me without any hiccups. The new avatar of Apple’s voice assistant should help me send photos from iPhone to Mac without having to enable AirDrop on both devices manually. Now, that’s one example. Siri 2.0 should open a new world, where experiences are actually connected across Apple gear. It will be a game changer for users like me whose daily routine revolves around multiple Apple devices.

5. Support for More Third-party Apps and Services

Another thing I wish to see in Siri 2.0 is improved integration with third-party apps and external services. As of now, Siri isn’t any close to its competitors. Unlike Alexa and Google Assistant, Siri works with limited third-party apps and services. Right now, Siri is deeply integrated with the Apple ecosystem and works efficiently with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Apple CarPlay. Sadly, Siri can’t handle external devices with ease. After all, it supports a few third-party apps. Sure Apple is making progress, but the competition is way too ahead already.

The popular voice assistant, Alexa has evolved and expanded quickly over time. Since it supports plenty of third-party apps, I can connect any Alexa-compatible home device and operate it using my phone. In fact, I can control these devices remotely. Such flexibility and functionality aren’t there with Siri. Also, Alexa voice assistant is widely available, so it’s easier to control multiple smart home devices using an Alexa hub. I can’t do the same with my Apple hubs like HomePod or Apple TV. I can only control the HomeKit-enabled accessories remotely.

Also, Siri offers limited support for third-party services in widely used categories like banking and cab booking. It only has deeper integration with Apple’s native apps. I hope Apple pushes its boundaries and integrates more third-party apps and services in Siri 2.0.

So, these are some of the AI experiences that I wish Siri to bring to its iPhone and other Apple devices. What features do you expect to see in Siri 2.0?