Apple Weighs Autonomous Tasks for Siri

Apple is considering letting Siri carry out ongoing tasks without repeated user instructions, a shift from its current one-request model.

Updated on Nov. 14, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence

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Apple is considering giving Siri AI capabilities to carry out ongoing tasks without repeated user instructions, according to a Bloomberg report published November 14, 2026. Siri can currently perform several actions from a single request but cannot yet follow a task over several days or monitor changes related to it.

Why it matters

Autonomous assistants that decide when to act raise privacy and security questions, and the shift would change how users rely on Siri across apps. Apple CEO John Ternus has reportedly urged software chief Craig Federighi to speed up AI development.

Apple's expanded App Intents framework lets developers enable Siri to carry out more complex actions across apps, though the framework's role in ongoing tasks has not been detailed. The report does not specify the processing or hardware requirements for background monitoring.

The players

Apple

Apple is a Cupertino-based technology company known for the iPhone, Mac and its Siri voice assistant.

John Ternus

John Ternus is Apple's chief executive officer, who reportedly urged faster AI development.

Craig Federighi

Craig Federighi is Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, responsible for the company's operating systems and software.

The details

Under the proposed capabilities, Siri would track tasks and complete them continuously rather than waiting for a new instruction each time. The report contrasts this with rivals: OpenAI's ChatGPT Dots assistant can work in the background and monitor connected apps, and Meta's Muse agent reportedly found a consent form in an email, filled it in, and followed up.

November 14, 2026: Bloomberg publishes its report on Siri autonomy.
Early 2027: The most autonomous Siri features are expected to begin appearing, according to the report.

The Tech Race

Apple's plan follows OpenAI's ChatGPT Dots, which already works in the background and monitors connected apps, and Meta's Muse agent, which completed a multi-step task from an email. Siri's move toward background task tracking would mark a departure from the single-request assistant model Apple has long used.

If Siri gains the ability to track and complete tasks over several days, iPhone users could receive fewer prompts but would need to review what the assistant does on their behalf. Privacy settings governing what Siri may act on will matter more once background actions are possible.

The takeaway

Autonomous assistants shift the burden from the user starting every task to the user supervising what the assistant does. Reviewing permissions and background activity settings now will make the transition easier when new Siri features arrive.