Active use of the new Siri AI could cost iPhone owners extra, just like other iCloud services. Tim Cook says Apple is considering this option. He revealed this at an earnings press conference, his last in his role as the company’s CEO.
The Apple chief says that the updated intelligent assistant demonstrates that “creating artificial intelligence that is private and based on personal context can change the way users find information and perform tasks using our products, in a way that truly enriches their lives”. However, this enrichment of life may entail some financial hardship, as AI services come at a cost that Apple does not appear willing to bear on behalf of the user.
Analyst Michael Ng asked the CEO about the cost of computing for the company. Tim Cook spoke of a “hybrid model” that uses the company’s own data centres alongside paid cloud services. He noted that this area is costly for Apple, which is considering the possibility of sharing these costs with users.
“We’ll see what Siri AI does from the cost side of it. There’s also the ability when people use it a lot for them to move up on an iCloud Plan as well. What the balance of that is a bit uncertain at the moment,” said Cook.
Siri AI is currently available to testers in beta. According to Cook, Apple is “absolutely thrilled with the feedback from people who have used Siri AI in the developer and public beta versions”. These comments are backed up by independent tests carried out by reviewers, including Gizmodo.
Apple had previously stated that certain features of iOS 27, such as the camera’s smart capabilities, would require an iCloud+ subscription costing $9.99 per month. The expanded capabilities of Siri AI mean users are likely to use the assistant more frequently, and consequently incur higher costs.
Apple is forecasting supply issues and has not ruled out further price rises
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