During the recent WWDC event, Apple talked about all the ways Siri has improved. It has become smarter, more conversational, and even more handy across different apps. But the company is trying to make sure that it does not become an actual companion. In an interview with Mostly Human, Apple software chief Craig Federighi and marketing chief Greg Joswiak discussed the company’s AI approach, including where Siri fits in a world already packed with chatbots.

Giving Siri boundaries

When asked whether users could create an AI boyfriend or girlfriend with Siri, Federighi gave a firm no. While this might seem like a harmless, fun question at first, the response is quite important, especially in this current space around AI. Plenty of AI products are leaning into companionship, emotional dependency, and long conversations designed to keep users coming back. But Apple is trying to draw a cleaner line around Siri.

Siri AI is not the same assistant anymore. It doesn’t struggle with basic follow-ups. At WWDC 2026, Apple introduced Siri AI, a rebuilt version of the assistant powered by Apple Intelligence. The assistant can understand personal context, answer questions about what is on your screen, search across messages, emails, photos, and other apps, and use broader web knowledge for up-to-date answers. There is also a new dedicated Siri app, letting users return to previous conversations across Apple devices.

On iPhone, Siri AI can be opened through the side button, “Hey Siri,” or by swiping down from the Dynamic Island. On Mac and iPad, Apple is folding Siri AI into Spotlight and context menus, which could make it more useful for files, images, text, and documents.

Useful first, needy never

Joswiak also said Apple does not want users to become “prompt experts” just to benefit from AI, which is very on-brand for Apple. It has always tried to make things more seamless and approachable, and Siri might be benefiting too. If the company gets this right, Apple users might turn to the assistant for more weirdly specific questions. The only catch now is availability. Apple says Siri AI features are available for developer testing now across iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, and visionOS 27, with a user beta coming later this year for supported devices set to English. China is not included for now, and iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch users in the EU will also have to wait.

Chinese electric vehicles face 125% cumulative tariffs, a proposed Senate ban, and fierce opposition from lawmakers and the US auto industry. But there is a growing possibility that Chinese EVs will be sold in the US within the next few years. The routes in are multiplying: through Canada, Mexico, and partnerships with the very automakers that publicly oppose them.

China captured nearly 75% of global EV manufacturing and 40% of global EV trade in 2025, according to the International Energy Agency. Production of 16 million electric cars outstripped domestic demand by 20%, pushing exports to a record 2.5 million. “The only market in the world they have not yet penetrated is the United States,” said Michael Dunne, CEO of Dunne Insights.

The Big Three are in an awkward position. Ford, GM, and Stellantis have retreated from aggressive EV plans while most experts agree electrification is the future. “U.S. companies have stepped back from a lot of their electric vehicle campaigns, because they haven’t been able to develop, in an inexpensive way, a compelling value proposition,” said Stephen Dyer of AlixPartners. “You can’t be competitive if you’re not in the game.”

Yet all three are quietly deepening ties with Chinese automakers. Ford is in talks with Geely to create a European partnership and, according to The Wall Street Journal, “appears to be opening the door to allowing Chinese cars in the U.S. at some point.” GM imports CATL battery cells for its Chevy Bolt. Stellantis owns 21% of Leapmotor and a 51% majority of a joint venture that its CEO said could expand into Mexico and Canada.

Geely is already using Volvo’s plants rather than building new factories, giving it manufacturing bases in both Europe and the US without greenfield investment. The Volvo factory near Charleston, South Carolina, could be adapted for other Geely platforms, including Zeekr, the brand Waymo uses for its robotaxi fleet.

Chinese EVs are already arriving in Canada, where Prime Minister Mark Carney signed a deal in January permitting up to 49,000 Chinese-built EVs annually at a 6.1% tariff rate. In Mexico, Chinese vehicles account for a quarter of total sales. BYD and Geely are among finalists vying to purchase a Nissan-Mercedes plant there. GAC announced plans to begin assembly in Mexico this year.

Trump expressed support in January for letting Chinese companies manufacture in the US, provided they employ American workers. But hurdles remain. A Senate bill to permanently ban Chinese automakers has bipartisan backing. Regulations restrict Chinese-developed software in connected vehicles. And the USMCA trade deal is up for renewal, with the Trump administration pushing for a new US-content requirement in vehicles.

Even the border is becoming porous. Chinese EVs from BYD, Geely, and Xpeng are showing up along the US-Mexico border, purchased at Mexican dealerships for under $20,000 by citizens who commute to US border cities. Registration in the US is nearly impossible, but the demand signal is clear. According to Kelley Blue Book, 38% of Americans would consider buying a Chinese vehicle.

China’s domestic market is also pushing companies outward. EV and hybrid sales in China fell 6.8% year-over-year in April. Overall vehicle sales dropped 21.5%. Overcapacity and intensifying competition mean Chinese automakers must export to survive.

“By 2030, we will see some form of Chinese cars on American roads,” Dunne said. “One way or another, they’ll find their way in.” The question is whether Detroit will be a partner or a bystander when they do.