Apple sends Siri engineers to AI bootcamp

Apple is reportedly sending fewer than 200 Siri engineers to a multiweek bootcamp to learn AI coding ahead of Apple’s June developer conference. (9to5mac.com) 9to5Mac and MacRumors, citing The Information, said the training will focus on tools such as Anthropic’s Claude Code and OpenAI’s Codex. The reports said Apple is retraining part of the Siri group rather than simply reshuffling product plans. (9to5mac.com) (macrumors.com) AI coding tools generate or edit software from plain-language prompts, like autocomplete for entire blocks of code instead of a few words. Apple’s reported bootcamp points to a push to teach Siri engineers how to build with those systems, not just add more features to the assistant. (the-decoder.com) The timing is tight. Apple has already set WWDC26 for June 8-12, and its official announcement said the conference will spotlight artificial intelligence advances and new developer tools. (apple.com) Siri has been under pressure since Apple delayed the more personalized version it previewed during its 2024 artificial intelligence rollout. Apple’s current Apple Intelligence page still says Siri’s onscreen-awareness feature is “in development” and will arrive in a future software update. (bloomberg.com) (apple.com) Apple also changed who runs Siri in March 2025. Bloomberg reported that Mike Rockwell, who led Vision Pro, was put in charge of Siri and now reports to software chief Craig Federighi, moving the assistant out of John Giannandrea’s direct control. (bloomberg.com) (macrumors.com) That management change followed a broader internal rethink of Apple’s artificial intelligence work. Bloomberg reported in January that Apple was preparing two Siri tracks, while 9to5Mac later reported that Federighi had told Siri engineers to use outside models when needed. (bloomberg.com) (9to5mac.com) Apple has not publicly announced the bootcamp or confirmed the reported headcount. What it has confirmed is the date of WWDC26, where the company is expected to show what Siri looks like after a year of delays, leadership changes, and now retraining. (apple.com)