Let's dive into the world of Siri AI on macOS and explore its potential impact on our daily lives. I've been playing with this new feature for a day now, and it's an intriguing journey.
The Evolution of Siri
I've had my fair share of experiences with Siri and Apple Intelligence, and let's just say, they haven't always been groundbreaking. However, the new Siri AI on macOS 27 Golden Gate has piqued my interest. It's like Apple is trying to make up for lost time, and I'm curious to see if they've succeeded.
First Impressions
In my initial 24 hours with Siri AI, I've noticed a few things. Firstly, it's still in its early stages, and there's a lot of room for improvement. The indexing process is a bit of a mystery; I can't even tell if it's finished scanning my files yet. This lack of transparency is a bit frustrating, especially for someone who values efficiency.
My colleagues, who've had a head start with Siri AI on their iPhones and Apple Watches, have given it a thumbs-up. But for me, the experience is a bit more nuanced. I'm a laptop user, and my needs are different. I don't need Siri to tell me the weather; I need it to enhance my productivity.
Automating the Tedious
One of my daily tasks involves reviewing laptops, which includes running benchmarking tests. I thought Siri AI could automate this process, but it seems it can only launch apps, not execute actions within them. So, I tried creating Shortcuts, but even that didn't work as expected. It's a bit disappointing, but I'm hopeful that future updates will address these limitations.
Data Analysis: A Glimmer of Hope
However, Siri AI showed some promise when it came to data analysis. I tried asking it to calculate average scores from my benchmarking screenshots, and it mostly delivered. It could distinguish between different types of scores and arrange them in a readable format. This is a feature I could see myself using regularly, especially if it becomes more accurate and efficient.
The Ecosystem Dilemma
But here's the catch: Siri AI seems to work best within Apple's ecosystem. When I asked it to find pictures of cats or babies, it only searched Apple's Photos and Messages apps. This might be sufficient for some, but I use Signal for messaging and Google Photos for my phone's images. Siri AI also couldn't access my Lightroom Classic catalog, even though the files are stored locally.
Visual Intelligence: A Work in Progress
Siri's Visual Intelligence, similar to Copilot Vision, has its moments. It can offer suggestions for editing photos, but it's not always accurate. It gave me a compliment when I asked for its opinion, which is something Apple said it wouldn't do. And when I asked for specific adjustments, it sometimes recommended settings that were already applied.
Final Thoughts
Siri AI is a step in the right direction for Apple, but it's still in its infancy. The experience will likely vary greatly depending on whether you're using an iPhone or a Mac, and the latter seems to have more limitations. While it's not a game-changer yet, it's a start. Apple is taking its first real steps into the world of AI, and I'm excited to see where this journey leads.
