Apple, the 'Latecomer,' Set for AI Counteroffensive... Key Highlights to Watch at WWDC

Dedicated Siri App as AI Assistant
Expanded AI Features in iOS 27
Will Apple Shed Its Image as an AI Latecomer?

Apple is set to hold its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), where it will overhaul its artificial intelligence (AI) strategy. Having faced criticism for lagging behind major competitors such as Google and Samsung Electronics in implementing AI features, Apple is expected to unveil new AI functionalities in a bid to mount a counterattack.

Apple WWDC 26. Apple Homepage.

WWDC 2026 will kick off with a keynote address at 10 a.m. local time on June 8 (2 a.m. Korea Standard Time on June 9) in Cupertino, California. This year's official slogan, "All systems glow," is a twist on the phrase "all systems go," commonly used during space launches, hinting at Apple's operating system revamps and enhancements to its AI capabilities.

Analysts believe the centerpiece of the keynote will be a comprehensive overhaul of Siri. According to major media outlets such as Bloomberg, Apple is adding new features to Siri under a project called "Campo." Since early this year, Apple has been developing Apple Intelligence features based on Google's AI model, Gemini. The goal is to process user requests within the Apple ecosystem, evolving Siri from a simple voice control system into a full-fledged AI assistant.

To that end, a dedicated Siri app, similar to the conversation window in Apple's Messages app, is expected to be introduced. Users will be able to interact with Siri via text and voice chats within this app. The app will allow users to review previous conversations and provide context-aware responses by leveraging web data, messages, calendars, and other personal data.

Apple is also considering a feature that would allow users to select external AI models such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini from within the Siri app's question screen to submit queries. The Siri app is scheduled for release this fall, and Apple is likely to implement a waiting list system to gradually roll out access.

Meanwhile, AI features in the mobile operating system iOS 27 are set to expand. The visual intelligence feature, which identifies subjects using Google Image Search, will be integrated as a Siri option within the Camera app. Users will be able to utilize this feature to extract information from nutrition labels and contact details. AI will also be applied to photo editing, enabling users to enlarge or recompose images using on-device AI models. The "Organizer Tool," which was introduced in 2024 as part of Apple's AI feature bundle, will also be improved in this update. For the Safari web browser, Apple is developing an AI function that automatically organizes tabs, allowing users to group browser tabs by topics such as shopping, travel, or work.

In addition, Apple plans to unveil iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, tvOS 27, and visionOS 27. The conference will be held online over five days, running through June 12.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.