Siri Co-Founder Dag Kittlaus Disputes Luc Julia's Co-Creator Claim

Paris, France – A long-standing debate regarding the foundational team behind Apple's virtual assistant, Siri, has resurfaced following a definitive statement from Dag Kittlaus, one of Siri's original co-founders. Kittlaus explicitly denied that Luc Julia was a co-creator of the pioneering artificial intelligence. The statement, shared by French tech commentator "MrPhi" on social media, underscores a persistent contention over historical credit in the tech world.

"Luc n'a définitivement pas été un co-créateur de Siri," Kittlaus stated, adding, "si la question est 'Luc a-t-il été un co-créateur de Siri' la réponse est définitivement non." This firm denial challenges the narrative often presented by Luc Julia, who is frequently cited in media and public appearances as a co-creator of the voice assistant.

Siri originated from a project at SRI International, an American non-profit research institute, as part of the Cognitive Assistant that Learns and Organizes (CALO) initiative, funded by DARPA. The company Siri Inc. was co-founded by Dag Kittlaus, Adam Cheyer, and Tom Gruber, who developed the standalone Siri application before its acquisition by Apple in April 2010 for an estimated $200 million. The initial app launched in February 2010, just weeks before Apple's acquisition.

Luc Julia joined Apple after the acquisition of Siri Inc., serving as Director of Siri from 2011 to 2012. While he played a role in Siri's development post-acquisition and has a distinguished career in AI, including roles at Samsung and Renault, his claim to being a co-creator alongside the original founding trio has been a point of contention. Julia recently appeared before the French Senate to discuss AI regulation, where his professional background, including his Siri affiliation, was highlighted.

The dispute highlights the complexities of attributing credit in collaborative technological innovations, especially when projects transition from research to commercial products and through corporate acquisitions. The original co-founders, Kittlaus, Cheyer, and Gruber, were instrumental in conceiving and building the core Siri technology that Apple later integrated into its ecosystem, starting with the iPhone 4S in 2011.