The company’s CEO, Tim Cook, announced this during a press conference on Apple’s financial results.
According to Cook, the new Siri AI is set to transform how users interact with their devices thanks to artificial intelligence that takes personal context into account and ensures privacy.
At the same time, the Apple chief acknowledged that supporting such features requires significant computing resources. The company uses a hybrid model, combining its own data centres with paid cloud services, and is therefore considering the possibility of passing on some of these costs to users.
We’ll have to wait and see what Siri AI will cost. It’s possible that people who frequently use iCloud services will have to switch to a higher-tier subscription plan. It’s not yet entirely clear what the balance will be,
— said Tim Cook.
Siri AI is currently only available to beta testers. According to Apple’s CEO, the company is pleased with the feedback from users who have already tried out the new voice assistant.
Apple had previously announced that some features of iOS 27, in particular the camera’s smart capabilities, would require an iCloud+ subscription costing $9.99 a month. If the company adopts a similar model for Siri AI, active users of the assistant may also need to take out a paid subscription.
It is worth noting that Apple may unveil a new generation of the iPad mini as early as this autumn. The tablet is expected to be the first in the company’s range to feature built-in water resistance.