Apple is reportedly intensifying the development of a "more conversational" Siri, aiming to catch up with chat assistants like OpenAI's ChatGPT. The new version of Siri is internally codenamed "LLM Siri" and is expected to be announced in 2025, with a formal launch in spring 2026 at the earliest. (Background: Should you buy the iPhone 16? Foreign media reviews Apple Intelligence as 'unbelievably powerful'; Chinese support will have to wait until 2025.) According to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, Apple is undergoing a significant AI overhaul of the Siri voice assistant, which has been around for 13 years, by developing a "more conversational" Siri to compete with chat assistants like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini Live. Sources say the brand-new voice assistant is codenamed "LLM Siri" and will use more advanced large language models (LLM), enabling smoother and more natural two-way conversations with users, as well as faster processing of more complex tasks. In addition, it will enhance the App Intents system's ability to interact with third-party apps, while also utilizing features from Apple Intelligence, such as summarizing and generating text. The new version of Siri will officially launch in spring 2026. The final version of Siri will incorporate Apple's personal AI system "Apple Intelligence," which was officially rolled out to users last month. It is understood that Apple has been testing the upgraded version of Siri in a standalone app format on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, but the new software will ultimately replace the current Siri interface used by customers. Insiders say Apple plans to announce this major update at the earliest during the 2025 WWDC developer conference, as a key highlight of the releases for iOS 19 and macOS 16. However, similar to Apple Intelligence launched this fall, the new features are not expected to appear immediately on next year's hardware. Apple currently plans to release the new version of Siri to consumers as early as spring 2026 (about a year and a half from now), and a company spokesperson declined to comment on the news. iOS 18.2 update, scheduled for release in December: Siri is about to integrate with ChatGPT. Recent news indicates that Apple, which has fallen behind in AI advancements, is racing to upgrade Siri to a chat assistant that can compete with rivals while also maintaining stronger privacy advantages. Some users on the X platform have complained, "They should have done this years ago" and "They have spent years getting Siri to where it needs to be, and now completing it will be a crazy sprint..." Notably, as part of the iOS 18.1 update last month, Apple introduced some minor upgrades to Siri, such as the screen edges lighting up when invoking Siri and introducing a feature to switch between text and voice input in Siri. The upcoming iOS 18.2, set to be released in December, will further upgrade Siri by integrating it with ChatGPT. At that time, users will be able to access ChatGPT when interacting with Siri, allowing them to use ChatGPT for free without creating an OpenAI account, while also providing privacy protection features. However, the official version of iOS 18.2 will first be rolled out in English-speaking countries like the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, with plans to expand to other languages, including Chinese, by April 2025. Further reading: Apple iOS 18.2 will deeply integrate ChatGPT; when will Chinese be available? Highlights of Apple Intelligence at a glance. Apple: The new version of Siri will become a more powerful life assistant, something ChatGPT cannot achieve. Reports indicate that Siri is about to receive the biggest upgrade in history in 2026. Apple Software Senior Vice President Craig Federighi hinted last month in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that the future AI-enhanced Siri will help consumers in their daily lives far beyond what ChatGPT can do: OpenAI's advanced voice mode is quite different from Siri's features. If you want to ask a question about quantum mechanics and have it write a poem about it, then OpenAI's mode is great... it won't open your garage. It won't help you send a text message. Siri does a lot of very useful things for you every day and can quickly accomplish tasks locally on your device. There is a range here, requiring a trade-off between functionalities. Will these worlds merge? Of course, that's the direction. Related reports: AI smartphones struggling to sell? Samsung lays off thousands globally; Apple iPhone 16 sales fall short of expectations. Apple’s Apple Intelligence does not support iPhone 15 Pro and older models; would you pay for AI? A look at the new features in Apple iOS 18: AI system Apple Intelligence, Siri introduces ChatGPT, Emoji generation... Apple and Nvidia compete for OpenAI funding opportunities; Sam Altman creates the strongest fundraising legend in history. "Apple rumored to announce upgraded version 'LLM Siri' in 2025: A more powerful AI life assistant than ChatGPT." This article was originally published on BlockTempo (the most influential blockchain news media).