As Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, WWDC 2026, barrels toward us like a keynote speaker on espresso, the company is apparently ready to show off some actual progress in the AI department. The annual circus kicks off Monday at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET, and you can watch the whole thing live via the Apple Developer app, Apple’s website, or the Apple Developer YouTube channel - because nothing says “innovation” like streaming a presentation about how your assistant will finally stop misunderstanding you.
The biggest news: Siri is getting a major AI upgrade, transforming it into a conversational assistant that can handle context, multi-step tasks, and actually interact naturally across apps and services. How is Apple pulling this off? By leveraging Google’s Gemini technology. Yes, the company that built its brand on “thinking different” is now thinking “borrowing from the search giant.”
Bloomberg leaks reveal a standalone Siri app is coming, designed to compete with ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini - because if you can’t beat ‘em, make a second-class copy and put it in a separate app. Apple may also introduce a feature reminiscent of messaging apps, letting users set timers for automatically deleting conversations after 30 days, a year, or keeping them indefinitely - perfect for those who want their digital footprint to be as forgettable as Siri’s current performance.
According to The Information, Apple plans an AI agent integration with the App Store. While details are scarce, these agents will let users delegate tasks like booking reservations, managing everyday tasks, editing documents, or controlling smart home devices - essentially, everything Siri was supposed to do a decade ago.
A new “Visual Intelligence” section is coming to the Camera app, replacing the previous feature in the Camera Control button. This upgrade adds a dedicated Siri mode alongside Photo, Video, Portrait, and Panorama, leveraging Google Image Search to identify objects - because Apple’s own image recognition was apparently not up to snuff.
The Photos app will get Apple Intelligence-powered enhancements like intelligent scene recommendations, automatic object removal, and an AI photo editing feature that lets users request edits using natural language - finally, a way to say “make me look less like I just woke up” and have your phone understand.
Apple is updating the Image Playground app with higher-quality image generation, more artistic styles, better character consistency, and richer editing controls. The interface will be simplified, offering fewer controls and a “describe a change” option - because nothing says creativity like typing “make it more like a cat in a spaceship” and getting exactly that.
Expect a suggested Genmoji feature that proposes custom emojis based on users’ media and text interactions - because the 3,000 existing emojis weren’t enough. Users may also generate AI wallpapers reflecting various themes and moods, perfect for when you need your phone’s background to match your existential dread.
The Wallet app is getting a bill-splitting feature that lets users photograph a receipt and generate payment requests to different parties - the passive-aggressive friend group’s dream come true. It will also include a “Create a Pass” option for generating digital passes from physical items like movie tickets, concert passes, or gym membership cards - because carrying paper is so 2019.
Overall, Apple is expected to enhance its AI-powered Siri experience across devices and likely incorporate more AI features and stability updates - which, given Siri’s track record, means the bar is somewhere in the basement.