Siri (computer program)
Siri is an artificial intelligence virtual assistant developed by Apple, first released in 2011 on the iPhone 4S. Originally created as a standalone app by Siri Inc., it was acquired by Apple shortly after its launch. Siri allows users to perform various tasks through voice commands, such as sending messages, setting reminders, and searching the internet. The program has undergone numerous updates and enhancements, expanding its availability across multiple Apple devices, including iPads, Apple Watches, and Apple TVs.
Initially known for its unique voice, provided by Susan Bennett, Siri has since added a male voice option and has improved its language capabilities to cater to users worldwide. While Siri enjoyed early popularity, it faces increased competition from other virtual assistants like Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant, prompting Apple to innovate and introduce new features, such as suggestions and shortcuts in iOS 12. More recently, in 2024, Apple announced plans to further enhance Siri's capabilities by integrating advanced AI technologies, including improved language understanding and the use of ChatGPT. This evolving landscape of virtual assistants highlights the ongoing advancements in artificial intelligence and user interaction technologies.
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Siri (computer program)
Siri is an artificial intelligence program released by Apple on its iPhone 4S in 2011. The program has been updated and included on each subsequent model of iPhone as well as on several other Apple products since that time. Siri is a virtual assistant that uses voice commands to perform actions such as reading and replying to text messages, creating events and reminders in the calendar, opening programs, suggesting restaurants, and searching the Internet while interacting with the user. First given a voice by American artist Susan Bennett, who has since risen to fame on social media, Siri gained a male voice option in 2013.
Overview
Siri started as a standalone application (app) added to the Apple App Store in early 2010 by Siri Inc. Siri Inc.'s cofounders—Dag Kittlaus, Adam Cheyer, and Tom Gruber—developed the technology after having worked for the Defense Department on the Cognitive Assistant That Learns and Organizes (CALO) project, which was part of the Personal Assistant That Learns (PAL) program. They used the basics of what they put together working on CALO to create Siri, which they called more of a "do engine" than a search engine. When they released Siri on Apple's App Store, they had plans to also release the app on Android; they even started a deal with Verizon to make it a default app on Android phones. Three weeks after Siri was released on the App Store, however, Steve Jobs, chair and chief executive officer of Apple, met with Kittlaus and made a deal to acquire Siri Inc. for a reported $150 to $250 million.
Siri has gone through many updates and changes since it was acquired by Apple. Many of the original features, such as being able to buy plane tickets and movie tickets as well as to make restaurant reservations just with the app, were discarded. However, Siri has learned how to understand and communicate in the language of every country that the iPhone is released in and retained some of the app's original snappy remarks.
When Siri was first released as a default on all iPhones, Apple had somewhat of a monopoly on the market. Siri's popularity grew and became available on other Apple products, including the iPad Pro, the iPad Air, the iPad (3rd generation) or later, the iPad mini, and the iPod touch (5th generation) or later. Siri could also be found on the Apple Watch and Apple TV. Since early 2016, several other virtual assistants have dominated the market. Amazon created Alexa, Windows released Cortana, Google developed Google Now, and Samsung worked to improve S-Voice. By 2024, virtual assistants such as Prialto, Time etc, Fancy Hands, and Uassist.ME had become popular.
With the advent of other virtual assistants, Siri began to be criticized for a lack of innovation compared to its competitors. In 2018, with the release of iOS 12, Apple introduced some new features for Siri, including having it make suggestions about what a user might want or need to do rather than only responding when a user asks it a question and introducing shortcuts that users can set up to have Siri execute complex tasks with a single voice command. In 2020, Apple announced plans for an improved design for Siri in iOS 14 and iPadOS 14. Siri no longer took up the entire screen when summoned but instead was a small icon at the bottom of the screen.
Artificial intelligence is a constantly growing and changing technology, with virtual assistants such as Siri taking the lead on development. In 2024, Apple announced that it was going to use its Apple intelligence to give Siri new features and updates, such as enhanced language understanding and product knowledge, as well as the ability to use ChatGPT to answer questions.
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