As artificial intelligence becomes a ubiquitous addition to software and operating systems, the user interface for interacting with these AI features is drawing increased attention. Apple's upcoming AI-powered Siri, particularly its manifestation on the visionOS platform for the Apple Vision Pro, highlights a stark contrast with the current approaches taken by Google and Microsoft.
The new Siri AI on visionOS takes the form of a virtual, glowing orb that can be manipulated within the augmented reality environment. A key feature of this interface is its environmental lighting effect, where the orb appears to illuminate surrounding virtual objects and surfaces. This subtle visual cue significantly enhances the user's experience by integrating the virtual element more naturally into the augmented world. In contrast, standard visionOS windows, which lack such lighting effects and shadows, can appear flat and less natural.
This focus on user experience stands apart from the AI integrations offered by Google's Gemini and Microsoft's Copilot. Microsoft's Copilot, for instance, presents a button that hovers over spreadsheets in applications like Excel. This button cannot be freely moved and may overlap with spreadsheet cells, with the only recourse for users being to disable Copilot entirely. Google's Gemini integration has also faced criticism for its pervasive presence across applications, with persistent first-run instructions appearing frequently, regardless of user attempts to dismiss them.
The fundamental importance of a well-designed user interface for software applications, particularly on personal computers, is undeniable. Apple's Siri AI orb for visionOS, while not necessarily a groundbreaking technical achievement, prioritizes the user's interaction and experience. This approach, which places user experience above other considerations, appears to be less of a priority for Google and Microsoft in their current AI implementations. While a ray-traced globe illuminating spreadsheets might be impractical, a greater degree of user control and less intrusive integration would be a welcome improvement.