Siri Gains A New Master As Apple Cedes Ground To Amazon Alexa In Voice AI
If you already find yourself glued to Apple's Siri assistant, then you may be glad to learn that it's only going to become an even bigger part of your life going forward. That is, as long as assumptions are correct with regards to the latest shuffling around of executive responsibilities at Apple.
Since 2012, Apple's Senior VP of software and services Eddy Cue has been overlooking Siri. Cue has a long history with Apple, and much success to gloat about. He's played an important role in securing streaming deals with content companies, and if that's not enough of a job in itself, he also oversees iCloud.
In a subtle change made to the biography pages at Apple's website, we learn that the company's Senior VP of software engineering, Craig Federighi, will be taking over the Siri reigns going forward. Federighi oversees the operating systems that Apple pushes to all of its products, whether it be iOS for iPhones and iPads, or macOS for desktops and notebooks. With Federighi now watching over Siri, it's hard to imagine that this is anything but a sign that Apple's AI will permeate the market even more as time goes on.
This move comes at a time when competition is at its fiercest. Google's "Assistant" is found on the majority of devices out there, and as we learned just the other day, many speakers and even household appliances will be bundling the AI very soon. Meanwhile, Amazon has become a force to be reckoned with, as its Alexa assistant is quickly becoming one of the best regarded voice solutions around. All in all, this latest move at Apple is a great thing for consumers - even those who don't use the company's products.