Apple expected to unveil new AI features at last developers conference with CEO Tim Cook

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CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) — Apple is expected to unveil new artificial intelligence features at its annual developers conference beginning Monday, which will be the last one featuring CEO Tim Cook before he turns his post over to John Ternus in September.

Cook received an extended standing ovation and told the audience he is “deeply grateful to have been on this journey with you” and said "the energy around Apple platforms has never been stronger.”

The World Wide Developers Conference, which kicked off on Monday thousands of developers from some 65 countries at Apple’s Silicon Valley headquarters, focuses on software, in contrast to the fall unveiling of the latest iPhones.

Analysts expect the iPhone maker to give updates on new AI features and capabilities, including developments with its Siri voice assistant.

“While hardware products are rarely launched at a developer show, we could see hints of Apple’s expansion into foldables, wearables, and smart home products by way of developer and ecosystem updates," said Emarketer senior analyst Gadjo Sevilla, who called 2026 a ”transition year” for the conference.

Apple has been playing catch-up with on AI with its Big Tech peers. It uses Google’s Gemini AI model to help power its AI features.

Sevilla said he anticipates Siri will be reimagined as an AI chatbot and will be more conversational, have memory to pick up previous conversations, and will be able to complete multiple tasks with single requests.

There is optimism around the potential for an enhanced Siri, he said.

“An upgraded, agentic version of Siri — capable of managing conversations and tasks across iPhones, Macs, and iPads — could become as ubiquitous as features like AirDrop and Handoff, which already unify Apple’s ecosystem,” Sevilla said.

Cook announced his retirement in April, ending a 15-year run that saw the company’s market value soar by more than $4 trillion during an iPhone-fueled era of prosperity. Ternus has been with Apple for the past quarter century, including the past five years overseeing the engineering underlying the iPhone, iPad and Mac — a role that made him a prime candidate to succeed Cook.

The transition to a new CEO comes at a pivotal time for Apple. Artificial intelligence has unleashed the most upheaval within the industry since Jobs unveiled the first iPhone in 2007. Apple has gotten off to a rough start in AI after stumbling in its efforts to deliver new features built on the technology, as promised nearly two years ago.