Apple‘s annual WWDC event on June 10th wasn’t just about new operating systems. The company also unveiled a significant upgrade for its virtual assistant, Siri, powered by a new suite of AI features called Apple Intelligence.

Siri users can expect a smarter assistant with a revamped design, improved speech recognition, and the ability to take actions within apps. Here’s a breakdown of what’s coming to Siri with iOS 18:

Say goodbye to the days of Siri struggling to understand your jumbled sentences. Apple says Siri will now be better at understanding natural language, even if you fumble over your words mid-request. Additionally, Siri can now maintain the context of your conversation, allowing you to make follow-up requests that build on previous interactions. Imagine asking Siri for the weather in Paris, then following up with an instruction to “create a calendar event for a meeting there next week.”

Apple Intelligence empowers Siri to become more proactive. It can now understand information displayed on your screen. This means if your friend messages you their new address, Siri can suggest updating their contact information. Additionally, Siri can take hundreds of actions within various apps, all through voice commands. Need a picture of your friend at the beach last summer, edited to make it pop? Siri can handle that.

Apple is partnering with OpenAI, the company behind the popular ChatGPT AI model. This collaboration will allow Siri to tap into ChatGPT’s expertise for specific tasks. Imagine asking Siri for recipe inspiration – it might suggest using ChatGPT to generate recipe ideas based on your preferences. However, unlike some of the other features, using ChatGPT will require user permission before Siri integrates its suggestions.

Apple is taking a privacy-centric approach with Apple Intelligence. All information processing, including when using ChatGPT, happens on the device whenever possible. This means your data stays secure on your iPhone or iPad. The new Siri features powered by Apple Intelligence will be available in beta for iOS 18 “this fall” in the US. The ChatGPT integration is expected to follow later this year.

These upgrades mark a significant step forward for Siri. With a more intuitive design, improved natural language processing, and the ability to take control within apps, Siri has the potential to become a much more valuable tool for iPhone and iPad users. The integration with ChatGPT adds another layer of functionality, offering the potential for more creative and informative interactions with your virtual assistant. Whether Siri can finally compete with rivals like Google Assistant remains to be seen, but these upgrades are certainly a step in the right direction.