Once upon a time, there was a small voice assistant that was only available on Apple products. It was called Siri. When it first launched on the iPhone, many thought it was pretty amazing. It could answer questions, find info, and even do useful things like taking photos or identifying songs. Siri supported many languages and had both male and female voices. Over time, it appeared on more Apple devices, making it the most widely used on-device AI in terms of language options.

But critics and rival companies say Siri was too ambitious. It struggled to keep up as technology advanced. Still, back in 2010, when Siri was introduced, AI research was accelerating fast. Apple had just bought Siri, and it became a leading example of AI in mobile tech. People liked Siri’s friendly, approachable image. Being part of Apple meant it had a big, loyal customer base eager to try new tech, even if it made some mistakes along the way.

Siri helped shape how people accepted AI. It was imperfect, and that actually worked in its favor. Mistakes made Siri seem less threatening, more human. If AI seemed too smart and perfect, many might have been more scared of it. But seeing Siri stumble a bit made folks feel more comfortable. They thought, “Well, if a machine can mess up sometimes, it probably isn’t all that dangerous.” Plus, many wondered if their devices really listened when off or what data was collected. Interestingly, over 80% of UK consumers say they’ve seen targeted ads driven by AI.

Trust in AI grew partly because of Siri’s early presence. Apple’s focus on privacy added to that trust, even as some critics accused tech giants of surveillance. When Apple CEO Tim Cook warned about the dangers of AI surveillance, some saw it as a sign of AI’s risks. Despite these concerns, Siri made people more willing to trust AI in daily life. Later, OpenAI and other big players entered the scene, and AI became even more embedded in devices and workplaces.

Today, roughly 77% of devices have some form of AI, and about 90% of organizations use it. Tech companies are pouring billions into AI development. In just the second quarter of 2025, Apple, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Meta spent over $92 billion on AI, data centers, and servers. That’s a huge jump from the previous year, showing how serious they are about AI’s future.

But there’s also a lot of hype. Governments and companies are making massive deals, investing heavily, and consumers are ready to spend. Yet history shows that many tech booms end in crashes. Remember the dotcom bubble or the South Sea Bubble? When investments get too crazy and unsustainable, a fall is usually coming. And when AI’s importance grows, governments and big companies might step in to bail out failing firms, claiming they’re “too big to fail.”

So, what’s next for Siri? Critics say it was ambitious but fell behind. But if you never used Siri, would you trust ChatGPT or other AI tools as much? Maybe a little, but probably not as deeply. The big question is whether privacy will stay a core part of AI. If governments push to weaken encryption and privacy protections, other AI services might become less trustworthy. Siri itself doesn’t have all the answers yet, but it probably has plenty of data to figure them out.

In the end, Siri helped pave the way for the AI boom we see today. Whether it’s still relevant depends on how privacy, regulation, and technology evolve. One thing is clear: AI’s future is shaping up to be as complex and unpredictable as its past.

Inspired by

• https://www.computerworld.com/article/4035037/i-come-to-bury-siri-not-to-praise-it.html

Sources

• gmpg.org
• ac.uk
• tandfonline.com
• applemust.com
• authorityhacker.com