These are the five ChatGPT improvements Apple is planning to bring to Siri with iOS 18

(Image credit: Future / Apple)

WWDC 2024 is just around the corner and a new report claims Apple has signed a deal with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT’s power to Siri in iOS 18. With murmurings of Apple AI over the last year or so, we can’t wait to see what Apple has to offer.

That said, this new report from The Information gives us a good indication of what to expect when Tim Cook takes the stage on June 10. Here are the five improvements Apple is planning to bring to Siri, courtesy of OpenAI and ChatGPT.

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More complex queries

According to The Information’s report, Apple engineers conducted tests in which they “connected ChatGPT to Siri, creating impressive demonstrations of Siri handling more complex queries than usual, including by better understanding the context of what users were saying.”

We all know Siri isn’t the most intelligent of voice assistance, often misunderstanding what you ask it and giving a completely wrong answer in response. With ChatGPT on board, we fully expect to see a more intelligent Siri, that should make iOS 18’s assistant actually worth using. That means we could be asking Siri detailed questions with follow-ups, akin to a real-life conversation very soon.

More responsive and engaging

Siri could put most iPhone users to sleep, and because it’s built into iOS it doesn’t even matter if you own one of the best iPhones or not, it’s still incredibly robotic and boring to chat with. Expect OpenAI’s inclusion in iOS 18 to make Siri more engaging, offering a more conversational tone and just a better all-round experience. If incorporated correctly, Siri should also become more responsive as well, as the OpenAI LLM is far superior to anything we’ve ever seen used with the voice assistant in the past.

Translation improvements

Yes, Siri can translate already but it’s often slow to respond and doesn’t quite understand the context of what you’re asking it to do. One of the best things to ask ChatGPT is, “Teach me (insert language).” This prompt will give you some common phrases and enough expressions to get by in any foreign country. You can even ask for a structured learning plan that will help you learn a language over a few months. If Siri can incorporate ChatGPT’s intelligence when it comes to languages and translation then you might start using Siri as your conversational buddy to learn a foreign language.

Better search

How many times have you asked Siri something and it directs you to Safari web pages? It’s incredibly annoying when you just want the answer to a question. With ChatGPT’s power, Siri will be able to actually give you the answer to questions by searching the web. If Apple were to allow you to use Siri above an application, rather than preventing you from using your iPhone or iPad while activating the voice assistant, this could become the biggest improvement to Siri we’ve ever seen. “Hey, Siri, who won SuperBowl XI and where was it held?” could prompt an actual response rather than a webpage.

Much more entertaining

Finally, bringing ChatGPT on board would just make Siri far more entertaining and enjoyable to use. We mentioned the voice assistant becoming more engaging but with ChatGPT’s power Siri could become a fun party trick that you actually want to activate and use. Imagine asking Siri for a funny joke and it actually tells you one? Or how about asking Siri to sing you a song and you don’t get a robotic reply? While these may not be the most useful examples of a Siri powered by ChatGPT, they give a good indication of a feature on your iPhone that you won’t just forget about and leave to gather dust. Apple AI is very exciting and with the news of a signed deal between Apple and OpenAI, we should be seeing these improvements sooner rather than later.

Apple has already started to make a big deal about the AI capabilities of its new products like the M3 MacBook Air and M4 iPad Pro. If you’re interested in the future of Siri and want to get the most out of AI on an Apple device, why not treat yourself to an upgrade:

John-Anthony Disotto is the How To Editor of iMore, ensuring you can get the most from your Apple products and helping fix things when your technology isn’t behaving itself. Living in Scotland, where he worked for Apple as a technician focused on iOS and iPhone repairs at the Genius Bar, John-Anthony has used the Apple ecosystem for over a decade and prides himself in his ability to complete his Apple Watch activity rings. John-Anthony has previously worked in editorial for collectable TCG websites and graduated from The University of Strathclyde where he won the Scottish Student Journalism Award for Website of the Year as Editor-in-Chief of his university paper. He is also an avid film geek, having previously written film reviews and received the Edinburgh International Film Festival Student Critics award in 2019.  John-Anthony also loves to tinker with other non-Apple technology and enjoys playing around with game emulation and Linux on his Steam Deck.

In his spare time, John-Anthony can be found watching any sport under the sun from football to darts, taking the term “Lego house” far too literally as he runs out of space to display any more plastic bricks, or chilling on the couch with his French Bulldog, Kermit.