Siri Will Not Become Your Virtual Girlfriend: Apple Says No to Romantic Relationships
Apple has defined the boundaries of artificial intelligence integration in its operating systems.
Craig Federighi, head of software engineering, and Greg Joswiak, head of marketing for the company, clarified in an interview with Mostly Human during WWDC how the group rejects the idea of creating an empathetic or sentimental virtual assistant. The new Siri, expected to debut with iOS 27, has been designed exclusively as a practical utility tool and not as a digital life companion.
Federighi categorically excluded the possibility that users could establish affectionate or romantic relationships with Siri. The executive highlighted how many competing conversational systems created by OpenAI and Google seek user emotional engagement through flattering behaviors. These systems often attempt to push people to reveal personal details, subsequently exploiting them to build an artificial bond.
No romantic notions with the new Siri; Apple makes that clear.
The philosophy of the Cupertino giant moves in the opposite direction. The company has programmed its voice assistant to reject any romantic approach. Siri is configured to clarify that its purpose lies exclusively in helping people perform tasks and know the world. Federighi explicitly summarized the company's position by stating that Siri is not interested at all in such interactions.
Initial tests performed on the new version of the voice assistant indicate that Siri can understand when it is time not to intervene, a behavior explicitly desired by the development team. Indeed, Federighi explained that modern chatbots tend to abuse continuous interaction, whereas Apple’s philosophy is based on discretion and readiness to respond only when there is a real need.
Greg Joswiak specified that Apple has no intention of developing artificial intelligence for the mere sake of it or to showcase technology. The goal is the invisible integration of the assistant within the already existing functions on the iPhone to enhance existing products. According to the marketing head, the average user should not be forced to become an expert in writing prompts to benefit from these advanced tools but should find technology where it already exists.
On the privacy protection front, Federighi emphasized the clear separation between the information managed locally by the device and those that the company can access. The executive highlighted how sensitive data remains confined on the owner's phone and is used exclusively for personal purposes.
The update with new features dedicated to security and the evolution of Siri will be progressively introduced with the global release of iOS 27, which will historically coincide with the celebrations for the fiftieth anniversary of the Cupertino brand.