Software That Helps Power Siri Is Named After Iron Man's AI, JARVIS

Skip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.
    The VergeThe Verge logo.
  • Tech
  • Reviews
  • Science
  • Entertainment
  • AI
  • Shopping
  • Hamburger Navigation Button
The homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.Hamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.
  • Login / Sign Up
closeCloseSearch
  • TechExpand
    • Amazon
    • Apple
    • Facebook
    • Google
    • Microsoft
    • Samsung
    • Business
    • See all tech
  • GadgetsExpand
    • Laptops
    • Phones
    • TVs
    • Headphones
    • Speakers
    • Wearables
    • See all gadgets
  • ReviewsExpand
    • Smart Home Reviews
    • Phone Reviews
    • Tablet Reviews
    • Headphone Reviews
    • See all reviews
  • AIExpand
    • OpenAI
    • Anthropic
    • See all AI
  • Verge ShoppingExpand
    • Buying Guides
    • Deals
    • Gift Guides
    • See all shopping
  • PolicyExpand
    • Antitrust
    • Politics
    • Law
    • Security
    • See all policy
  • ScienceExpand
    • Space
    • Energy
    • Environment
    • Health
    • See all science
  • EntertainmentExpand
    • TV Shows
    • Movies
    • Audio
    • See all entertainment
  • GamingExpand
    • Xbox
    • PlayStation
    • Nintendo
    • See all gaming
  • StreamingExpand
    • Disney
    • HBO
    • Netflix
    • YouTube
    • Creators
    • See all streaming
  • TransportationExpand
    • Electric Cars
    • Autonomous Cars
    • Ride-sharing
    • Scooters
    • See all transportation
  • Features
  • Verge VideoExpand
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
  • PodcastsExpand
    • Decoder
    • The Vergecast
    • Version History
  • NewslettersExpand
    • The Verge Daily
    • Installer
    • Verge Deals
    • Notepad
    • Optimizer
    • Regulator
    • The Stepback
  • Archives
  • Store
Subscribe
  • Facebook
  • Threads
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • RSS
The VergeThe Verge logo.Software that helps power Siri is named after Iron Man’s AI, JARVISComments DrawerCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...
  • AppleClose

    Apple

    Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

    FollowFollow

    See All Apple

  • TechClose

    Tech

    Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

    FollowFollow

    See All Tech

Software that helps power Siri is named after Iron Man’s AI, JARVISby CloseDante D'Orazio

Dante D'Orazio

Reporter, The VergeLast published Apr 11, 2016

Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

FollowFollow

See All by Dante D'Orazio

Source Mesosphere

Apr 26, 2015, 4:29 PM UTC
  • Link
  • Share

Remember JARVIS, the hyper-intelligent AI from the Iron Man movies? Well, it seems Apple’s engineers used that sci-fi software for some inspiration when building the backbone that powers Siri.

At an engineer meet-up last week in Cupertino, Apple revealed that the servers that run Siri use Apache Mesos. The open source software, first developed out of UC Berkeley, is designed to make massive data centers more efficient and easier to manage. Among other duties, Mesos determines the best way to complete tasks with all of the resources in a data center. (Mesos is credited with helping Twitter abolish the fail whale, an error screen that plagued the service during times of high server load.) The software also allows engineers to push updates to services like Siri as if they were working with a single computer — instead of thousands of servers.

And guess what name Apple gave its custom implementation of Mesos? You guessed it: JARVIS. But while Tony Stark’s JARVIS stands for Just A Rather Very Intelligent System, Apple’s acronym replaces “System” for the more apropos “Scheduler.” Now, if only Siri were a true AI.

JARVIS SiriFollow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.
  • CloseDante D'Orazio

    Dante D'Orazio

    Reporter, The VergeLast published Apr 11, 2016

    Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

    FollowFollow

    See All by Dante D'Orazio

  • AppleClose

    Apple

    Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

    FollowFollow

    See All Apple

  • TechClose

    Tech

    Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

    FollowFollow

    See All Tech

Most Popular

Most Popular
  1. Killing in the name of… nothing
  2. The 11 best Nintendo Switch 2 games we played in 2025
  3. You can’t trust your eyes to tell you what’s real anymore, says the head of Instagram
  4. Meet the new tech laws of 2026
  5. The Canon EOS R6 Mark III is great, but this lens is amazing

The Verge Daily

A free daily digest of the news that matters most.

Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Advertiser Content FromSponsor Logo

This is the title for the native ad

Sponsor thumbnail

More in Apple

The Pluribus finale showed there’s a lot more to the storyThe Pluribus finale showed there’s a lot more to the storyApple is going to allow third-party app stores in Brazil, tooApple is going to allow third-party app stores in Brazil, tooApple fined $116 million over app privacy promptsApple fined $116 million over app privacy promptsSamsung ‘Wide Fold’ rumored to rival Apple’s foldable next yearSamsung ‘Wide Fold’ rumored to rival Apple’s foldable next yearPhones were fashionable again in 2025Phones were fashionable again in 2025There’s finally a little bit of sunshine in PluribusThere’s finally a little bit of sunshine in PluribusThe Pluribus finale showed there’s a lot more to the storyThe Pluribus finale showed there’s a lot more to the storyThe Pluribus finale showed there’s a lot more to the storyAndrew WebsterDec 24, 2025Apple is going to allow third-party app stores in Brazil, tooApple is going to allow third-party app stores in Brazil, tooApple is going to allow third-party app stores in Brazil, tooJay PetersDec 23, 2025Apple fined $116 million over app privacy promptsApple fined $116 million over app privacy promptsApple fined $116 million over app privacy promptsJess WeatherbedDec 23, 2025Samsung ‘Wide Fold’ rumored to rival Apple’s foldable next yearSamsung ‘Wide Fold’ rumored to rival Apple’s foldable next yearSamsung ‘Wide Fold’ rumored to rival Apple’s foldable next yearJess WeatherbedDec 22, 2025Phones were fashionable again in 2025Phones were fashionable again in 2025Phones were fashionable again in 2025Allison JohnsonDec 19, 2025There’s finally a little bit of sunshine in PluribusThere’s finally a little bit of sunshine in PluribusThere’s finally a little bit of sunshine in PluribusAndrew WebsterDec 19, 2025Advertiser Content FromSponsor Logo

This is the title for the native ad

Top Stories

Jan 1Meet the new tech laws of 202634 minutes agoThe Trump phone just missed another release dateDec 31, 2025The year politics became brainrotDec 31, 2025Net neutrality was back, until it wasn’tDec 30, 2025The Canon EOS R6 Mark III is great, but this lens is amazingDec 17, 2025The Verge’s 2025 in review

Tag » What Does Jarvis Stand For