Apple reportedly accelerates AI roadmap to turn Siri into a more autonomous AI agent

On the evening of November 8, 2026, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman wrote in his Power On newsletter that Apple's new CEO John Ternus had recently met with Craig Federighi, the software engineering chief who now runs Apple's AI efforts, in a closed-door meeting. Ternus urged him to accelerate AI work, rejecting the idea of merely shipping the necessary Siri feature upgrades and instead pushing Siri toward becoming a true AI agent that completes tasks for users on its own. Gurman added that Ternus was unhappy that Federighi had not embraced AI as aggressively as competitors; Federighi, who took over Apple's AI business last year and is still widely described as an AI skeptic, has voiced concerns about the privacy, safety, societal and employment implications.

Earlier at Apple's earnings call, Ternus struck a far more confident tone, saying Apple had finally realized a long-held vision and that its AI business had entered a new chapter, praising user feedback and adoption. Gurman's report framed this public confidence against his view that Apple still lags well behind its rivals internally. Siri currently handles questions, drafting messages, setting reminders, web lookups and basic in-app actions, but Gurman noted these capabilities still lag established AI agents; Ternus said Siri remains primarily request-driven today, though its orchestrator-based modern architecture leaves room to expand agent capabilities later.

That same evening, Bloomberg reported separately that Apple is exploring turning Siri into an AI agent similar to ChatGPT Dots, and that changes could arrive with a larger iOS 28 overhaul, without detailing specific features, timing or availability. On November 9, a report carried by Eastmoney cited media coverage saying the agent-capable Siri could arrive as early as next year to match ChatGPT Dots, Meta Muse, Grok and other rivals, with the goal of proactively managing tasks and finishing work for users. Apple has not stated a firm release date, and the program currently remains at the planning stage.