Analysts tipped Apple to use its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), set to take place on Monday (8 June), to reset its AI strategy and unveil a major Siri overhaul as CEO Tim Cook prepares to hand over the reins.

Ahead of the event, Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight, described WWDC as “a pivotal moment for Apple Intelligence”, adding its voice assistant Siri had been “a thorn in Apple’s side for several years”, making its reboot central to Apple’s attempt to reset its AI narrative.

According to Bloomberg, Apple is expected to unveil a revamped AI-powered Siri designed to act as conversational companion with screen awareness, richer app control, the ability to tackle multiple commands in one prompt and a dedicated Siri app.

Wood expects Apple to frame the overhaul around “a slew of agentic AI capabilities”, while avoiding any overt positioning of Siri as being powered by Google’s Gemini technology.

Apple has indeed lagged rivals including Google and Samsung in bringing AI features to smartphones and other devices. Its push has been hampered by challenges building in-house AI capabilities, prompting the company to lean on partnerships with players including Google and OpenAI.

Paolo Pescatore, chief analyst at research house PP Foresight, said the iPhone-maker does not need to win the AI race through “noise, novelty or endless model comparisons”, but by making AI “useful, trusted, private and deeply embedded” across its devices.

Bloomberg reported Apple is also expected to unveil iOS 27 alongside updates for iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS and visionOS. Unlike last year’s focus on Liquid Glass design, the next software cycle is expected to focus on reliability, battery life, performance and deeper integration of Apple Intelligence features.

Symbolic
Notably, the event also marks Tim Cook’s final WWDC as Apple CEO before his planned transition to executive chairman on 1 September, when SVP of hardware engineering John Ternus will take the helm.

Pescatore explained the upcoming WWDC “carries far more significance than a normal developer conference”, describing it as “as much a symbolic handover moment as a software showcase”.

In his view, Cook’s legacy has been built on “scale, discipline, services, privacy, Apple Silicon and deep ecosystem integration”, but argued the key question is how Apple uses that foundation in the AI era.

He argued the tech giant will need to reassure developers, investors and customers the transition is “about continuity, not disruption”, while showing its blend of hardware, silicon, software and services can deliver “a more intelligent, more personal ecosystem”.

Similarly, Wood warned any missteps in Apple’s hotly anticipated agentic and on-device AI strategy “could have significant implications”.

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Verizon CEO Dan Schulman (pictured) doubled down on messaging around the widespread impact of AI on the workforce, tipping the technology to replace “a large percentage” of work handled by customer service representatives.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Schulman said AI would cause “disruption in certain job functions” but pointed to customer care as an area where the technology could be applied quickly and effectively.

In his view, the technology could be used to handle simple customer queries, including recovering a lost password or checking a billing amount. For more complex requests, Schulman said human employees and AI agents would work together.

Schulman also cited AI’s role in network security, telling Bloomberg Verizon does “a lot for the critical infrastructure of the US” and that AI tools would help the company “protect it”.

The chief highlighted Verizon’s efforts to deploy AI as part of a wider push to improve customer experience and sharpen the company’s performance. He added the operator would not raise prices without delivering value to customers, stating: “Anybody can compete on price… It’s about competing on other parts of the value proposition, where you can actually differentiate yourself.”

Verizon introduced promotions and service guarantees last year to combat customer fatigue and better compete with rivals including AT&T and T-Mobile US.

Big, bureaucratic company
In April, Schulman urged fellow leaders to be open with employees about the impact AI would have on workforces, telling the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) the technology will reshape the company and that “being realistic, telling the truth, as best you can, is essential”. Last year, the operator scrapped more than 13,000 jobs, subsequently setting aside $20 million to help reskill employees for the AI era.

According to Schulman around 7,000 employees have already applied for the trainings, which include teaching staff effective prompt writing and AI agent creation. He added he is “spending a lot of time down in DC” speaking with government officials about responsible AI use.

Beyond technology, the CEO also suggested internal culture remains part of the challenge. “Verizon is a big, bureaucratic company,” he said. “It loves its processes. It loves to show its work. But I’m about outcome and how fast can we move the company forward.”

He explained it had taken time to steer Verizon towards a more innovative approach, adding he wants the company to be less risk averse in order to better serve customers.

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Mobile World Live brings you our top three picks of the week as Anthropic widened access to its Claude Mythos model despite security concerns, the European Commission (EC) unveiled a fresh digital sovereignty push and the FCC commenced its first spectrum auction in four years.

Anthropic expands Mythos access to 150 new companies

What happened: Anthropic expanded access to its controversial Claude Mythos AI model under the Project Glasswing to 150 additional companies in sectors including power, healthcare and communications, after initially restricting it to a group of private technology players.

Why it matters: Anthropic said the latest cohort brings in sectors underrepresented in the first wave. In commentary to security publication CSO Online, experts noted the expansion could add to security concerns around the model. Carmi Levy, an independent technology analyst, questioned what Glasswing will be able to accomplish by adding 150 more participants, noting the initial point was to allow the AI player to work closely with a small, fully vetted group of vendors to develop stronger defences against cybersecurity risks. “Expanding access into the hundreds may very well bring in more minds to build better defensive measures, but it simultaneously introduces significant concerns around potential leaks.”

Research director for AI security at IDC, Grace Trinidad, added that Anthropic’s announcement pointed out that each of the 150 new participants “will need to meet our security requirements before they gain access”, which also did not build confidence. “Nobody knows what those security requirements are.”

Earlier this week, Anthropic also confidentially filed IPO paperwork with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), ahead of rival OpenAI’s rumoured float.

EU targets AI, chips in fresh sovereignty drive

What happened: The EC unveiled a fresh digital sovereignty package targeting semiconductors, AI, cloud, open source and energy infrastructure in a bid to accelerate Europe’s push for digital sovereignty.

Why it matters: The package includes a proposed a revamped Chips Act 2.0 and a Cloud and AI Development Act to streamline data centre deployment and introduced measures to expand open source use, support startups and digitalise the energy system. EC president Ursula von der Leyen said Europe “cannot afford to depend on others for the technologies that keep our hospitals running, our energy grids stable and our services secure”.

Jennifer Okafor, a UN and Global Health strategist and AI and data analyst, said the policies represent “a comprehensive approach to balancing growth, stability, and long-term resilience across the EU”. However, president of German digital industry group Bitkom Ralf Wintergerst told Reuters it is “crucial that these efforts do not stop at mere announcements”, while Keegan McBride, director of science and technology at non-profit think tank Tony Blair Institute argued Europe “can’t regulate its way to competitiveness, it must build”. He added, “there’s still much more to do ​if Europe wants to close the gap with the US and China”.

FCC kicks off first spectrum auction in 4 years

What happened: The FCC opened Auction 113, its first spectrum auction in four years, covering spectrum in the 1695MHz to 1710MHz, 1755MHz to 1780MHz and 2155MHz to 2180MHz bands.

Why it matters: AT&T, T-Mobile US, Verizon and potentially SpaceX are among likely bidders. The licences cover territory home to more than 100 million people across 48 states and two US territories. FCC chair Brendan Carr declared: “Finally! The FCC is back in the game,” adding spectrum auctions are “the lifeblood of licensed wireless service”. Carr argued “more spectrum means more building, lower prices and stronger competition”.

Proceeds from the auction will fund the FCC’s “rip and replace” programme targeting Huawei and ZTE equipment in US networks. Indeed, the auction also bolsters the regulator’s broader Build America Agenda, which targets 800MHz of spectrum by 2034.

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