Apple unveils rebuilt Siri at WWDC, but EU users will not get it at launch

To power more complex requests, Apple has partnered with Google to use Google's Gemini models for cloud-based processing, marking a significant deepening of the relationship. Apple will also rely on its own Private Cloud Compute infrastructure for the cloud portion. Most processing, however, will run locally on the device; Apple says only the most necessary data will be sent to the cloud, nothing will be stored, and not even Apple will have access. "Nur die notwendigsten Daten werden an die Cloud geschickt. Nichts wird gespeichert, niemand hat Zugriff, auch nicht Apple," Rockwell said.

Privacy pitch and Google partnership

Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, used the stage to draw a contrast with competing AI providers. "Heute versprechen viele KI-Anbieter Datenschutz, aber in den Standardeinstellungen der Chatbots werden Ihre persönlichen Interaktionen gespeichert," Federighi said, adding: "Andere preschen mit KI zurzeit nach vorne ohne Rücksicht auf Datenschutz." He promised that Apple will never target advertising at users based on their AI queries and said users have "absolute Kontrolle über Ihre Informationen zu jedem Zeitpunkt."

EU users left waiting

The new features will not reach Europe on day one. When iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 ship in the autumn, the new Siri AI and several other AI functions will be unavailable in Germany and the other 26 EU member states. Federighi said the reason is regulatory. "Wir sind sehr enttäuscht, dass unsere Nutzerinnen und Nutzer in der EU Siri AI auf dem iPhone oder iPad nicht nutzen können, wenn wir unsere neuen Softwareversionen später in diesem Jahr veröffentlichen," he said. According to Apple, the obstacle is not data protection law but EU competition rules that would require Apple to treat all AI assistants on the iPhone equally. Apple argues that opening the system up would let other assistants access private messages, calendar entries, and emails.

Apple also pointed to the European Commission's decision to designate iOS and iPadOS as gatekeeper services, which subjects them to stricter competition obligations, while macOS was not so designated. The new Siri will initially support only English, with additional languages to follow. Several of the headline AI features, including the new Siri, require an iPhone 15 Pro or newer, because only those models contain Apple's proprietary AI chips.

Unmet promises and legal pressure

The launch comes after a difficult period for Apple's AI ambitions. The company's previous initiative, branded Apple Intelligence, was announced at WWDC two years prior in 2024 and failed to deliver on its promises, triggering consumer lawsuits. Apple recently settled those lawsuits for $250 million, described as one of the largest settlements in the company's corporate history. Federighi, asked about the situation, said only "Aus regulatorischen Gründen" when pressed on the EU delay. Apple also stated that EU regulators did not accept any of its proposals for bringing Siri AI to the bloc while securely supporting other virtual assistants. The company no longer discusses its earlier partnership with OpenAI; Bloomberg has reported that Apple has data protection concerns about OpenAI and is reportedly frustrated that OpenAI is developing its own AI device that could compete with the iPhone. OpenAI is reportedly considering a lawsuit against Apple for breach of contract.

App developers will have until autumn to adapt their applications to the new operating system versions. macOS 27 is receiving refinements to its Liquid Glass design language and performance improvements. Bloomberg has reported that the financial terms of Apple's deal with Google for Gemini remain undisclosed.

Outside the keynote hall, Apple was also in the news on Monday for an unrelated legal dispute. The company, through Meta, has accused NSO Group of violating a permanent injunction by attempting new phishing attacks after the court had permanently barred the spyware maker from targeting WhatsApp. A jury had awarded Meta $167 million in damages last year, later reduced to $4 million by a California district court.