During his last earnings call as Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook mentioned that the long-anticipated upgrade to Siri AI might include some features behind a paywall. Cook acknowledged that these plans are not fully finalized, but he imagines that users could purchase additional computing power for Siri AI through their existing iCloud+ subscriptions, which provide increased cloud storage.

“We anticipate that there will be users who wish to utilize [Siri AI] extensively, hence we will have some upgrade options available on iCloud+, allowing users to enhance their iCloud+ subscriptions, and we’ll see how well this is received,” Cook stated on Thursday. “However, we are incredibly excited about the direction [Siri AI] is headed.”

Most other AI companies, such as Anthropic and OpenAI, function similarly by providing a limited free version for users, with the possibility of upgrading for more extensive usage.

The enhanced Siri AI is currently available in the iOS 27 beta and is expected to be more widely released this autumn.

As longtime Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering John Ternus assumes Tim Cook’s role, he will lead the company during a pivotal moment. Apple has lagged in its quest to develop a sophisticated AI assistant, even conceding to its main rival Google by licensing a tailored Gemini model to enhance Siri. The update to Siri AI faced such delays that Apple was compelled to pay $250 million to resolve a class action lawsuit regarding its marketing of the iPhone 16’s AI features.

Apple, like all hardware manufacturers, is confronted with a challenging path in securing the necessary supplies to satisfy customer demand. The AI-driven RAM scarcity across the industry has increased hardware production costs, prompting firms such as Meta, Samsung, Microsoft, and Sony to hike prices on some products. Last month, Apple elevated the prices of its Macs and iPads, while still holding off on adjusting the cost of its current iPhone models.