Apple unveiled advances in artificial intelligence on June 8, 2026, including upgrades to its voice assistant, Siri, as it works to catch up with rivals. The announcements came at its World Wide Developers Conference, an annual event for software developers.

Instead of promoting superintelligence or companion chatbots, Apple stressed privacy and practical, everyday use. Software chief Craig Federighi criticized unnamed competitors that seem to be "pursuing AI for the sake of AI," without clear regard for the people it should serve. At Apple, he said, "we believe that truly helpful AI should be centered around you and your needs." Apple Intelligence, the company's AI system, now uses Google's Gemini model and handles requests on the device or privately in the cloud, beyond anyone else's reach.

The redesigned Siri, which Apple described as a much more capable assistant, can handle tasks across devices, such as gathering recipes to plan a party or telling a user whether a backpack meets airline carry-on rules. A standalone Siri app will launch later in 2026, though not at first in Europe, and not in China until regulatory issues are settled.

The event was the last led by Tim Cook, who announced his retirement in April 2026 and will hand the role to John Ternus in September. During Cook's 15 years as CEO, Apple's market value rose by more than $4 trillion. His departure comes as AI drives the biggest upheaval in the industry since the first iPhone appeared in 2007, and Apple has made a rough start.

"I truly believe the best is still ahead," Cook told the audience.