At the 2026 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference this week, Apple officially released its newly upgraded Siri voice assistant after more than a year of delays. This version has now been renamed Siri AI and is powered by Google's Gemini large model. However, while Apple plans to roll out the new feature to users globally, users in the European Union may have to wait longer to use the new assistant.
While releasing iOS 27, Apple stated in a blog that Siri AI will not be available in the EU for the time being due to obstacles caused by the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and other regulatory requirements. According to relevant regulations, if Siri AI is to be launched in the EU, Apple needs to open interfaces with equivalent capabilities to competitors in iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, so that other third-party voice assistants can also access equivalent functions. Apple refused to accept this condition and claimed that the move would endanger user privacy, so it chose to delay the provision of Siri AI services in the EU.
In response to the widespread belief that EU regulations have hindered the launch of Siri AI, a spokesperson for the European Commission recently responded to further explain why Siri AI has not yet landed in the region. The spokesperson first emphasized that the DMA does not prohibit Apple from launching any services in the EU. The law only requires "gatekeeper" companies like Apple to comply with relevant obligations when conducting business.
The European Commission noted that under the DMA, platforms designated as "gatekeepers" must provide third parties with access to functionality equivalent to that of their own products. The spokesman said that the core of this requirement is to protect users' right to choose, allowing users to freely choose "the products that best meet their needs" instead of being forced to use the platform's own services. In other words, if Apple opens up specific system capabilities or interfaces for its own Siri AI, it must allow other voice assistants to obtain similar access under the same conditions.
The spokesperson also revealed that the European Commission has been in communication with Apple on relevant issues. However, Apple "has not proposed a solution that meets DMA interoperability requirements." At the same time, the statement reiterated that large technology companies designated as gatekeepers must not use their status as core platforms such as operating systems to unfairly favor their own products in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence services. The EU’s position is that platforms can both innovate and launch their own AI services, but they must do so within a framework of open and fair competition.
According to Apple's previously announced pace, the first public beta version of iOS 27 will be pushed to users next month, and the official version is expected to be released with the iPhone 18 series this fall. However, until Apple and the European Commission reach an agreement on DMA compliance issues, it is still unknown when Siri AI will be available to European users. At present, the launch time of Siri AI in the EU depends on whether Apple is willing to make compromises on interoperability and third-party access.