Apple's AI voice assistant, "Siri AI," will support Korean starting from the 26th. While some features, such as automatically registering schedules to the calendar by pointing the camera at a schedule sheet, drew attention, its scope of use was limited because integration with major domestic apps like KakaoTalk has not been achieved.
We previewed the key features of Siri AI ahead of its Korean language support on the 21st. Siri AI is characterized by its ability to understand users' personal context and perform tasks in actual apps, based on Apple's AI system, "Apple Intelligence."
The feature that drew the most attention this day was "Visual Intelligence," which utilizes the camera. When we pointed the iPhone camera at a local event flyer, an "Add to Calendar" button appeared on the screen. Upon pressing it, it recognized not only the date and time written on the flyer but also the duration for each event. Users could select only the schedules they wanted or add all 12 schedules to the calendar. This eliminates the need to enter dates and times one by one.
However, during the demonstration, the feature did not operate smoothly from the start. It was only after several attempts, including pointing the camera at the schedule sheet again, that the calendar registration screen appeared. Since it is still a beta version, how accurately it will function in actual usage environments needs to be confirmed after its official release.
Siri AI can also search users' past text messages and emails. When we requested by voice to find the pumpkin porridge recipe we ate during a beach trip, it found the relevant link from past messages. It then organized the ingredients listed in the recipe into the Notes app and categorized them by supermarket section. It also performed the task of sending the organized list to someone else via message.
In response to a request to find a forest trail recommended by a friend, it located "Odaesan Seonjae-gil" from past emails. When asked about the length of the trail and whether it was suitable for children to walk, it provided an answer using internet information. This is a method of responding to consecutive questions by combining personal data with web information.
On the other hand, these features cannot yet be utilized on KakaoTalk, which is widely used by domestic users. Currently, Siri AI operates primarily centered on Apple's default apps and also supports some external apps such as Microsoft Outlook. However, it does not yet support a feature to search conversation content stored in the majority of domestic apps like KakaoTalk.
Apple has already opened its API (Application Programming Interface) to domestic developers such as KakaoTalk and Naver. If domestic app developers implement features that integrate with Siri AI in the future, the scope of use could expand, but a specific timeline for support has not been determined. Even though users can now ask questions in Korean, connectivity with major domestic services remains incomplete.
It also showcased business support features. It can summarize unorganized meeting notes and draft emails containing action items. Unlike existing writing tools that focus on sentence correction and summarization, Siri AI differs in that it can move to the email app and perform follow-up tasks.
In the dedicated Siri AI app, users can also check previous conversations or ask questions via text. Conversation records can be continued on devices connected with the same account, such as iPhones, iPads, and Vision Pro.
The automatic schedule registration and personal conversation search features demonstrated by Siri AI showed the potential to change how smartphones are used. However, in the Korean market, how quickly integration with major apps like KakaoTalk is achieved is expected to determine its usability.
in TECH
