Apple CEO John Ternus Pushes to Speed Up AI as Siri Moves Toward Agent Era

Apple’s new chief executive wants the company to move faster on artificial intelligence. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, CEO John Ternus told software chief Craig Federighi that Apple must “accelerate” its software plans. In other words, the Apple AI roadmap is about to speed up, and Siri could start acting like a true AI agent as early as next year.

This report matters because Apple has spent the past two years playing catch-up in AI. Now, with a new leader in charge, the company appears ready to change pace.

What Ternus Told Apple’s Software Team

Gurman shared the details in his Power On newsletter on November 8, 2026. As MacRumors reports, Ternus said in a closed-door meeting that Apple should “move quickly beyond merely making necessary improvements to Siri.”

In simple terms, fixing Siri is no longer enough. Instead, Ternus wants Apple to build bigger and bolder AI features. To make room for this, Apple is also changing how it develops iOS 28 and its other next major software releases. According to Gizmodo, the new approach gives engineers more time for coding and exploring new features.

Who Is John Ternus?

Ternus is still new to the top job. Apple announced on April 20, 2026 that he would replace Tim Cook as CEO from September 1. Before that, he ran Apple’s hardware engineering division for years. Meanwhile, Cook moved into the role of executive chairman, as T3 reports.

As a hardware leader, Ternus helped shape products like the iPhone, iPad and Mac. Now, however, his biggest challenge sits in software. His push on AI shows that he sees it as the area where Apple most needs to improve.

Siri Could Become an AI Agent in 2027

Today, Siri mostly waits for you to ask it something. By contrast, an AI agent can take a goal and work toward it on its own, step by step, without constant instructions. For example, an agent could plan a trip, book tickets and update your calendar from one request.

Gurman wrote that he believes Apple “could make Siri more like an agent as early as next year.” Rival assistants from OpenAI and Meta already offer more proactive, always-on features. As a result, Apple faces growing pressure to close the gap.

Apple has already started upgrading Siri. Earlier this year, Siri gained on-screen awareness and multi-step tasks, as we covered in our report on Apple’s Siri Gemini AI upgrade in iOS 26.4. Still, the next step toward a full agent would be a much bigger leap.

Apple’s AI Spending Hits a Record

The push also shows up in Apple’s spending. According to MacRumors, Apple spent a record $45.77 billion on research and development in fiscal 2026. That is $11.22 billion more than the $34.55 billion it spent the year before, an increase of about 32%.

To put this in perspective, Apple’s revenue grew about 15% in the same period. In other words, research spending is rising about twice as fast as sales. Apple’s annual report says infrastructure costs, including investment in AI, drove much of that increase.

Why the Apple AI Roadmap Matters

For years, Apple has built its brand on careful, polished launches. However, that slow approach has hurt it in AI, where rivals ship new features every few months. Google, OpenAI, Microsoft and Meta have all moved faster with assistants and AI tools.

A faster Apple AI roadmap could therefore change the smartphone market. More than a billion people use iPhones, so any major Siri upgrade would put advanced AI agents in front of a huge audience almost overnight. This fits a wider shift we explored in how AI agents are reshaping the future of work.

At the same time, speed brings risk. Apple has promised strong privacy, and agents need deep access to personal data to work well. As a result, Apple will have to balance new features with the trust that its users expect.

What We Still Don’t Know

So far, Apple has not officially announced an agent version of Siri or a release date. Moreover, Gurman’s reporting relies on unnamed sources, and plans can change. We also don’t know which devices will support any new agent features.

Gurman also expects Siri to gain deeper support for Apple’s own apps soon, with support for third-party apps likely to follow in the spring. These steps would lay the groundwork for a smarter assistant that can work across the apps people use every day.

Even so, the direction looks clear. Apple’s leadership wants faster progress, and its budget is growing to match.

The Bottom Line

John Ternus is making AI his first big priority as Apple CEO. He wants Siri to go beyond basic fixes and become a real assistant that can act on its own. With record research spending and a new software process, Apple is clearly preparing for a faster pace. Ultimately, 2027 could be the year Siri finally catches up with its rivals.