Apple Unveils a Gemini-Powered Siri in Tim Cook's Final WWDC

Apple used its Worldwide Developers Conference to introduce a rebuilt voice assistant called Siri AI, after sustained criticism that the company had fallen behind in artificial intelligence. Euronews reports that the revised assistant is more conversational, works across the operating system and is offered as a standalone application.

A central detail is what powers it. The new Siri runs on Google's Gemini model, an acknowledgment that Apple is relying on a competitor's technology rather than its own to catch up with rivals. The features are not expected to be available at first in the European Union or China, where regulatory conditions differ.

The event also marked a transition. Tim Cook opened and closed what is expected to be his final keynote as chief executive, and the company confirmed that hardware chief John Ternus will take over in September.

For the largest technology company by market value to rely on an external model is a significant indication of where capability now lies in the industry, and of how much of the artificial intelligence supply chain a hardware-focused firm can control on its own.