pple Intelligence is preparing for its big reboot, and there's a lot at stake for the two billion Apple users worldwide.

While Apple has taken it on the chin for not delivering a revamped Siri or the full suite of Apple Intelligence features it promised two summers ago at WWDC 2024, there's still a clear opportunity for Apple to play a key part in the global spread of AI in the years ahead. And come June 8 at the company's WWDC keynote, we'll learn how big of an AI leap the company intends to take.

Only about 16% of the global population uses AI today, which means there's still plenty of room for Apple to play a part, especially since it makes the devices that many people will use to access AI tools. But to get the next wave of people involved in AI, devices and services need to be easier to use and less expensive. Apple isn't likely to help with the affordability side of the equation, but it can certainly play a key role in making the technology easier to use. And once Apple figures out an easier path, the cheaper alternatives tend to copy it.

We'll learn the details of Apple's new vision for AI on the iPhone and other devices at the June 8 keynote of its annual WWDC event. The features will roll out in beta this summer and will officially land on the iPhone and other Apple gear in software updates this fall.

The two big moves to watch are:

• Gemini-powered Siri: While most Apple users have written off using Siri for AI-related tasks, it's about to get a widely discussed brain transplant in iOS 27, powered by Google Gemini. The tersely worded statements from Apple and Google make it sound as though Siri will now use Gemini models under the hood, but the entire user experience will be crafted by Apple. That could include a new standalone Siri app and chatbot functionality to compete with ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and others. All of these apps continue to pile in more and more features. Let's see what Apple offers to simplify the AI experience.
• A new AI section in the App Store: Apple is also reportedly planning to launch a dedicated AI "Extensions" feature inside the App Store. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, this will allow Apple users to download features such as agents and other AI tools from frontier labs and software developers and integrate them into Siri. The motivation here could be to make Siri an AI superapp that can pull in your favorite AI features from any AI developer and integrate them more smoothly into your phone or laptop.

The features will roll out in beta this summer and will officially land on the iPhone and other Apple gear in software updates this fall.

Our Deeper View

Even without a revamped Siri or the more advanced Apple Intelligence features, such as Personal Intelligence, Apple has not been completely left out of the AI race. Its greatest asset right now is its Apple Silicon chips, with neural processors purpose-built to handle AI workloads. That's why so many software developers at the frontier labs are creating their latest models on Macs. It's why they almost always release the latest features of their desktop apps on Mac first. And it's why Mac minis have been flying off the shelves to run personal AI agents such as OpenClaw. Apple is already winning in AI hardware. If it can pair that with an easier user experience to make AI accessible to more people with the next version of Siri, then it will play a key role in the next phase of AI. That's easier said than done. But let's also remember that Apple has user trust, privacy, and security on its side, if it can get the software right.