Apple is reportedly working to transform its Siri artificial intelligence assistant into an autonomous agent capable of carrying out tasks on behalf of users, as the company prepares a major overhaul of its software development strategy for iOS 28.
The planned upgrade is expected to give Siri more advanced capabilities, allowing users to delegate tasks to the assistant across iPhones, Macs and iPads rather than relying on it mainly for basic commands and requests.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who disclosed the development in his Power On newsletter, Apple wants Siri to operate more like an AI agent, similar to OpenAI’s Dots, Meta’s Muse and Grok.
Such assistants are designed to handle tasks with less direct user involvement, including monitoring information across connected platforms, completing repetitive activities and providing updates when changes occur.
The proposed transformation would mark a significant expansion of Siri’s current capabilities. The assistant, which was reintroduced at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2026 and later released with iOS 27, can perform basic tasks such as drafting emails and messages, setting reminders and creating calendar events.
It also supports selected actions within third-party applications and Apple’s own services.
However, Siri’s current capabilities remain limited compared with more advanced AI agents, which can manage multi-step tasks and work across connected applications with greater independence.
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Apple has already taken steps towards expanding the assistant’s functionality. The iOS 27.3 beta update introduced what the company describes as advanced in-app actions, allowing Siri to perform more operations within supported applications.
The latest reported plans suggest Apple wants to move beyond these incremental improvements and make Siri a more capable digital assistant that can take instructions, coordinate tasks and complete activities for users.
The new capabilities could arrive as early as next year, although Apple has not officially confirmed the reported timeline.
The report also points to changes in how Apple is developing its next-generation operating systems, including iOS 28 and iPadOS 28.
The company has reportedly divided software development into three stages, known as M1, M2 and M3, with each stage lasting eight weeks.
Under the existing structure, the M1 stage is divided into two four-week development sprints. However, Apple has reportedly instructed software engineers to spend six weeks coding, exploring and developing features, followed by two weeks of convergence during the first stage.
The adjustment is intended to give engineers more time to build and refine features before bringing the development process together.
Apple is expected to provide more details about its next-generation operating systems at its WWDC event next year.
The reported Siri upgrade comes as technology companies increasingly compete to develop AI agents that can do more than answer questions, with the focus shifting towards systems capable of carrying out tasks and managing workflows for users.
About the Author
Cecilia Attah is a tech analyst with a degree from Benue State University. She covers tech news and startups at TechRegard with a focus on how technology is transforming Africa and shaping the global landscape.
