Apple will begin its Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday at 10 a.m. PT and 1 p.m. ET, where it plans to announce an artificial intelligence upgrade to its voice assistant. The event will stream live on the Apple Developer app, the company website, the Apple Developer YouTube channel, and the Apple TV app. Tim Cook will host the developer conference as chief executive officer for the final time, with John Ternus set to succeed him in the role.
The updated voice assistant will utilize Google Gemini technology to process requests, with a standalone application currently in development. This follows a multi-year collaboration between Apple and Google finalized in January to integrate Google Gemini with Apple Intelligence. The revised voice assistant application is scheduled for release in September. The voice assistant interface may allow users to schedule automatic deletion of conversation history after 30 days, one year, or indefinitely. Initial third-party integrations for the app automation platform include Uber, Amazon, Temu, YouTube, WhatsApp, Facebook, Threads, and AllTrails.
Apple will integrate artificial intelligence agents with its App Store to handle tasks such as booking reservations and managing smart home devices. The Camera application will replace its previous button-controlled feature with a dedicated Visual Intelligence section, which will also include a specific mode for the voice assistant alongside Photo, Video, Portrait, and Panorama modes. The Visual Intelligence component will use Google Image Search to identify photographed objects. Additionally, the Photos application will receive artificial intelligence tools for automatic object removal and natural language editing commands. Users will also be able to generate artificial intelligence wallpapers.
The company will update its image generation application to improve output quality and simplify editing controls, adding a text prompt option to modify existing images. The digital payment application will add a feature that enables users to scan physical receipts to generate and split payment requests. This application will also include a tool to convert physical tickets and membership cards into digital passes. Apple operating system updates will adopt a numerical year naming convention, resulting in iOS 27, macOS 27, and watchOS 27. These software updates will prioritize stability fixes and performance improvements over major new features.
Apple agreed to pay $250 million to iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 owners regarding delayed artificial intelligence features for the voice assistant. Apple stock is trading near record valuations at approximately 36 times trailing earnings. MoffettNathanson said, "Apple's stock has done all the work the AI story has yet to do." The firm added, "The question for WWDC26 isn't 'will Apple announce a better Siri?' It almost certainly will."