Apple to unveil new AI features at WWDC 2026 as Tim Cook takes final developer stage

• Photo courtesy of Apple

Apple is expected to introduce new artificial intelligence features at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2026, which will kick off at around 1 a.m. Philippine time on Tuesday, June 9.

The event is also expected to mark CEO Tim Cook’s final WWDC appearance before he hands over Apple’s leadership to John Ternus in September.

The software-focused conference, held at Apple Park in Silicon Valley, is expected to highlight the company’s latest AI initiatives as it works to strengthen its position in the increasingly competitive generative AI race.

Among the biggest announcements expected are upgrades to Siri, Apple’s voice assistant. Analysts believe the next version of Siri could become more conversational, remember previous interactions, and complete multiple tasks from a single request.

Senior eMarketer analyst Gadjo Sevilla described WWDC 2026 as a “transition year,” saying Apple could also preview future ecosystem developments involving foldable devices, wearables, and smart home products through software and developer updates rather than hardware launches.

Apple has faced growing pressure to accelerate its AI roadmap after a slower rollout of AI-powered features compared with other major technology companies. The company currently uses Google’s Gemini model to support some of its artificial intelligence capabilities while continuing to expand its own Apple Intelligence platform.

Sevilla said a more capable version of Siri that can manage conversations and tasks across the iPhone, Mac, and iPad could eventually become as central to Apple’s ecosystem as AirDrop and Handoff.

Cook announced his retirement in April after leading Apple for 15 years.

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Apple to unveil new AI at WWDC 2026 as Tim Cook takes final developer stage

His successor, John Ternus, has spent more than 25 years at Apple and most recently led the engineering teams behind the iPhone, iPad, and Mac product lines.

The leadership transition comes as artificial intelligence continues to reshape the technology industry, making WWDC 2026 one of Apple’s most closely watched developer conferences in recent years.