Apple CEO Presses Software Chief to Pursue More Ambitious AI Strategy

In brief

• Apple CEO John Ternus is reportedly pressing software chief Craig Federighi to speed up AI work and build a more autonomous Siri.
• Federighi has delivered a working version of Siri's AI features quickly, but Apple does not believe it is keeping pace with rivals.
• The planned Siri upgrades focus on agent abilities and finer control over Apple's own apps in the coming months.

Pressure to move faster on AI

Apple CEO John Ternus has urged Craig Federighi, the company's senior vice president of software engineering, to accelerate the Siri roadmap and go well beyond incremental fixes, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman (Apple is racing to make Siri more agentic – The Verge) (Apple’s New CEO Is Reportedly Pushing to Stuff More AI into iPhones – Gizmodo) (Apple CEO Presses Software Chief to Pursue More Ambitious AI Strategy – Hacker News). Ternus reportedly pressed the point in a closed-door meeting, where he is said to have expressed impatience with what he sees as a slower pace on AI than competitors maintain.

Federighi's cautious stance

Federighi has long been regarded inside and outside Apple as an AI skeptic. Gurman reports that he has raised questions about the technology's effects on privacy, security, society and jobs. Even so, Federighi has delivered a working version of Siri's AI features on a very short timeline, though the company does not believe it is keeping pace with rivals.

The goal: an agent that acts for users

The target is a Siri that can complete tasks on a user's behalf rather than only answer questions. Gurman also says the company is looking at Siri's agent abilities over the coming months, including finer control over Apple's own apps.

Changes to Apple's development plans

Gurman reports that the company is also reworking its development strategy for its next iOS release. He adds that Mike Rockwell, who leads Siri-related work, is still weighing whether to leave his current role.

Why it matters

The dispute points to a leadership shift at Apple under Ternus, who has taken the top job and is reshaping priorities. How quickly Apple can turn its AI plans into features that match rivals will be a key test of that shift.

Read also

• Apple CEO John Ternus says the company won't release AI features just for the sake of having AI