Apple’s Siri Chief Calls AI Delays Ugly and Embarrassing, Promises Fixes

Apple’s struggles with AI are no longer just whispers in the tech world — they’re front and center, thanks to a brutally honest statement from the company’s Siri boss, Robby Walker. In an internal meeting, Walker admitted that the delays in Apple’s AI features, including major Siri upgrades, have been "ugly" and "embarrassing." Ouch.

"This was not one of these situations where we get to show people our plan after it’s done. We showed people before."

— Robby Walker, Apple Senior Director

The Apple Intelligence-powered Siri upgrade was supposed to be a major highlight of the upcoming iPhone 16 lineup. Apple went all-in on marketing it, pushing ads and hype for features that, well, weren’t actually ready. Now, those upgrades are indefinitely delayed, and the company is scrambling to set things right.

Image Credit: David Paul Morris | Bloomberg

Walker didn't hold back in his assessment of the situation. He acknowledged that the team is going through a rough patch, with many employees feeling "angry, disappointed, burned out, and embarrassed." Apple had initially aimed for a spring release of these AI-powered enhancements, but now, they might not see the light of day until next year — at the earliest.

"To make matters worse, Apple’s marketing communications department wanted to promote the enhancements."

— Robby Walker

So, why all the delays? According to sources, the AI-powered Siri features just aren’t working consistently. Right now, Apple’s internal tests show that they only function properly 66% to 80% of the time. That means one out of every three interactions could fail. Not exactly what you want from an AI assistant that’s supposed to make your life easier.

Apple’s AI Crisis: Playing Catch-Up

The broader issue here? Apple is seriously lagging behind in AI. While competitors like OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft are rolling out powerful AI tools, Apple is stuck trying to get Siri to do what it should’ve been able to do years ago. The company’s attempt to push forward with its own AI initiative, Apple Intelligence, is now facing major roadblocks.

Walker admitted that Apple made a big mistake by hyping up unfinished features. He also suggested that there are now even more pressing internal priorities that could push Siri’s improvements further down the timeline.

"We have other commitments across Apple to other projects. We want to keep our commitments to those, and we understand those are now potentially more timeline-urgent than the features that have been deferred."

— Robby Walker

Apple’s top executives, including AI chief John Giannandrea and software boss Craig Federighi, are feeling the heat. There’s intense pressure to turn things around, and while no senior executives are getting fired (yet), the company is shifting management around to try and fix the situation. They’ve even brought in longtime Apple exec Kim Vorrath, known as a "project fixer," to help.

The AI That (Kind of) Works

Despite all the problems, Walker tried to boost morale by highlighting some of the AI features that actually function properly. He showed examples of Siri successfully pulling up a driver’s license number on command and locating specific photos. The assistant was also able to manipulate apps with voice commands, embed content in an email, and add recipients.

Victor J. Blue | Bloomberg

"We’re going to ship these features and more as soon as they are ready."

— Robby Walker

But readiness is still the big question mark. Even with an internal goal of launching these features with iOS 19, Walker himself admitted that it’s not guaranteed. The company is now being extra cautious, likely trying to avoid another embarrassing situation.

"Customers are not expecting only these new features but they also want a more fully rounded-out Siri."

— Robby Walker

What’s Next?

For now, Apple is focused on damage control. The company is still planning to roll out Apple Intelligence in multiple languages next month and is working overtime to bring AI-powered features to China through partnerships with Alibaba and Baidu. But for Siri’s long-awaited AI overhaul? The wait continues.

At this point, it’s clear that Apple has a lot of work to do if it wants to compete in the AI race. And after years of Siri feeling like the weakest link in the virtual assistant world, fans are understandably skeptical. The question now is: Can Apple actually deliver? Or will this just be another case of over-promising and under-delivering?

One thing’s for sure — Apple’s AI saga is far from over.