Apple's executives say the new-and-improved Siri won't try to be your friend or your partner, because it's only there to help you as efficiently as it can.
Apple's latest attempt at modernizing its virtual assistant was the star of the show at WWDC 2026. Siri AI now supports natural language, contextual awareness, and advanced in-app actions, along with a chatbot-style experience.
However, even with its improved capabilities, Siri will always be different from existing AI assistants, thanks to Apple's approach.
During an interview in the Mostly Human podcast, spotted by 9to5Mac, Apple's software chief and head of worldwide marketing spoke about Siri AI. The two executives explained the role of Apple's AI features and the ideas behind them.
Commenting on the significance of AI, Apple's SVP of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, likened it to the Industrial Revolution.
"I think that AI, in Apple's view, can be used as this incredibly empowering thing. But there is a sense that, for one, things are changing very fast in ways that I think it's hard for any normal person to keep up with," said Federighi. "And while I think we can look at this as yet another thing of the scale of the Industrial Revolution, which changed our world in a giant way, that displaced a lot of people in the process and still occurred over like 80 years."
He continues by saying he can relate to people who see AI as a big change. He believes it makes sense that people feel uncertainty about the potential impact of AI on jobs.
However, Apple remains optimistic. The company is looking for ways to make everyday tasks easier with AI.
"We don't do AI for AI's sake," explained Greg Joswiak, "it's 'how does AI make everything better,' and that makes our products better, our features better." Joswiak is Apple's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing.
For Apple, the answer is to use AI to offer convenient, non-intrusive suggestion buttons in the Messages app. Users can add events to their Calendar app without engaging with a chatbot. In a sense, the company still views AI as a tool first and foremost, and not something that can replace social interaction.
Siri doesn't encourage user engagement, and it won't replace human interaction
Even with Siri's new conversational abilities, Craig Federighi says the assistant never tries to make a connection with its users.
Example of a conversation with the new Siri AI. Image Credit: Apple
"If you use many of the existing chatbots, they're really focused on engagement to a large degree, and sycophancy, right? They kind of want to pull you in," says Federighi. "They might encourage you to reveal things about yourself and then use that as a basis to establish a connection."
He suggests that Apple's approach is quite the opposite. "The way that we have designed Siri, Siri really wants to say, 'Listen, that's not what I'm here for. I'm here to help you.'"
Siri won't pursue romantic or emotional connections with its users, he said. "But if you try to engage Siri as a romantic partner, Siri's not into that," Federighi continued.
Greg Joswiak echoed Federighi's statements regarding Apple's approach to AI. In short, the company doesn't prioritize user engagement with AI features.
"The motivations of Apple are different than some other companies," said Joswiak. "Some people, their whole business model is 'I need to keep you in what you're in, I need to keep you in my app, my experience; that's how I make my money'. That's not us."
Joz goes on to say that Apple's motivation is to help the user, not keep them engaged. Delivering concise answers is the goal and it is up to the user to continue the conversation if needed.
In essence, the two Apple executives highlighted the company's balanced idea of AI. Siri needs to understand natural language to help its users, not to build perceived emotional bonds with them.
Sometimes, as with the suggestions in the Messages app, Apple's AI is a non-intrusive, optional utility. Simply put, Siri is not there to replace humans, their jobs, or their partners and friends.
