Starting this fall, it appears Siri is going to be much more powerful. Whether this is good news or a harbinger of infinite technological frustration depends on how you feel about Siri, AI, virtual assistants, and the whole idea that your devices should be able to do stuff on your behalf. Either way, it seems virtually certain that at Apple’s WWDC event on Monday, we’re going to hear an awful lot about how Siri can make your life better.

This year’s WWDC is actually an important one for Apple. CEO Tim Cook and others have been hinting that this is when Apple will reveal its grand plans for AI and end the notion that Apple is somehow behind Google, OpenAI, and the rest. What will it look like, though? Who knows! But it’s going to be AI, and it’s going to be everywhere.

On this episode of The Vergecast, we preview what’s coming at WWDC and whether a heaping helping of AI is actually what Apple devices need. But before we get to that, we run through a laundry list of gadget news, from Intel’s new chips to Humane’s would-be buyers to Palmer Luckey’s new Game Boy. After that, it’s WWDC time.

Once we finish talking about Apple, and how Alex Cranz wants to use AI to ugly up her phone real good, we do a proper lightning round and talk about streaming price hikes, Chromebooks, Elon Musk, and whether $56 billion is enough to motivate someone to care about their job. Tough question, really.

If you want to know more about everything we discuss in this episode, here are a few links to get you started, first with the week’s gadget news:

• This is Lunar Lake — Intel’s utterly overhauled AI laptop chip that ditches memory sticks
• Humane is reportedly trying to sell itself to HP for $1 billion
• From CNBC: Humane, the startup behind the AI Pin, in talks with HP, telecoms to sell
• Humane warns AI Pin owners to ‘immediately’ stop using its charging case
• Even the Raspberry Pi is getting in on AI
• Apple put a Thread smart home radio into its newest Macs and iPads
• Apple just corrected the M2 iPad Air’s core count
• Samsung leak reveals a cheaper Galaxy Watch
• Nothing’s Phone 3 will be all about AI apps 
• The Asus ROG Ally X is official — and I took a peek inside
• Palmer Luckey is now selling pixel-perfect ultrabright magnesium Game Boys for $199

And on WWDC:

• What to expect at Apple’s WWDC 2024
• iOS 18 (and AI) will give Siri much more control over your apps
• Apple’s non-AI WWDC plans include Settings and Control Center revamps
• Apple might bring AI transcription to Voice Memos and Notes
• Apple’s WWDC may include AI-generated emoji and an OpenAI partnership
• Apple’s WWDC 2024 is set for June 10th
• Nvidia is now more valuable than Apple at $3.01 trillion

And in the lightning round:

• Alex’s pick: Max raises prices across its ad-free plans
• David Pierce’s pick: Google acquires Cameyo to integrate Windows app virtualization into ChromeOS
• Nilay Patel’s pick: Tesla CEO Elon Musk could leave if $56 billion pay package not approved, shareholders warned