Apple Opens Siri AI Integration to All Developers, Adds 'Skills' for Multi-Step Tasks

Apple has announced that it is opening its next-generation Siri AI integration to all third-party developers, accompanied by a new mechanism called "Skills." Released as part of the iOS 27.3, iPadOS 27.3, macOS 27.3, and visionOS 27.3 betas, this update marks a shift for Siri from executing single commands to acting as an AI agent capable of handling complex tasks across multiple applications.

Previously, Siri's interaction with third-party apps relied heavily on Apple-defined schemas or limited Shortcuts. Now, developers can provide broader custom operations through the App Intents framework, while the new "Skills" mechanism allows Siri to chain multiple actions into a complete workflow. For example, a user can ask Siri to find a saved item in a shopping app, identify a specific contact, and send the product details via a messaging app, all without manually switching between interfaces.

This move aligns with Google's recent push for Android AppFunctions and Gemini's multi-step task capabilities, as both mobile ecosystems compete to establish their AI assistants as unified entry points for service invocation. For developers, this implies that beyond designing intuitive human-facing interfaces, they must also consider how to make their services understandable and efficiently callable by AI agents.

It is important to note that these features are currently in developer preview and are expected to reach general users in the coming months, with App Store submission channels opening in spring 2027. Additionally, Siri AI does not yet officially support Traditional Chinese, and its real-world utility will depend on the depth of third-party integration and operational reliability.