Siri Upgrade: Apple's Voice Assistant to Get Smarter with Ferret-UI Integration

Since its debut alongside the iPhone 4S in 2011, Apple's voice assistant Siri has been a staple feature, simplifying tasks and providing entertainment for users. However, recent years have seen minimal advancements in Siri's capabilities. With the rise of AI technology showcased by platforms like OpenAI's ChatGPT, speculation has mounted regarding Siri's future developments.

Reports have surfaced suggesting Apple's exploration of generative AI features for Siri, aiming to enhance its functionality. A research paper from Cornell University sheds light on Ferret-UI, a Multimodal Large Language Model (MLLM) developed in collaboration with Apple. This innovative technology holds promise for enhancing Siri's understanding of smartphone interfaces and potentially grasping the functionalities of iPhone apps.

Ferret-UI, introduced in October last year, addresses the challenge of comprehending the diverse aspect ratios and compact visual elements found on smartphone screens. Ferret-UI aims to interpret even the smallest icons and buttons within app interfaces by magnifying details and leveraging advanced visual features. The model boasts "referring, grounding, and reasoning capabilities," indicating its potential to grasp complex UI interactions.

Apple's integration of Ferret-UI into Siri could revolutionize the digital assistant's capabilities, enabling it to seamlessly execute intricate tasks within apps. Users might envision instructing Siri to perform actions like booking flights or making reservations, with Siri efficiently interacting with the relevant apps to fulfil requests.

Ferret, an open-source multimodal large language model, emerged from collaborative efforts between Apple and Cornell University. It stems from extensive research on empowering large language models to recognize and understand elements within images. With Ferret's integration, user interfaces could handle queries akin to those processed by ChatGPT or Gemini, marking a significant advancement in AI-driven interactions.

While Ferret-UI was initially released for research purposes, its potential integration into Siri hints at Apple's commitment to advancing its voice assistant's capabilities. By leveraging Ferret-UI's advancements in UI understanding, Apple aims to enhance Siri's intelligence and efficiency, promising users a more intuitive and responsive digital assistant experience.