Siri has gone from in a relationship with OpenAI to in an open relationship. According to Bloomberg, Apple has decided to forgo an exclusive deal with OpenAI to allow Siri to run queries through ChatGPT and will instead opt to open the platform up to competing chatbots, including Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini.
Per the report, the update to allow access to other chatbots will be part of the release of iOS 27, which is expected to be announced at WWDC in June. Users will be able to select which AI model they use in tandem with Siri through an upcoming “Extensions” feature. You’ll reportedly need to download the app for their chatbot of choice and then set it as their selection in the Apple Intelligence and Siri section of Settings. That ability will reportedly be available across Apple platforms when the update comes, with support in iOS 27, iPad OS 27, and macOS 27.
The deal will upend ChatGPT’s Siri monopoly, which it has had since entering into an agreement with Apple back in 2024. That deal reportedly saw zero dollars exchange hands. Instead, it was something of a mutually beneficial agreement that saw Apple able to offer chatbot functionality without having to develop its own models and gave OpenAI access to a ton of new users. Apple’s decision to open things up is apparently a part of a play to drive subscriptions to the chatbots via the App Store, where Apple gets to skim a commission of up to 30%.
While the new arrangement will allow Siri to pass questions over to Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini, Google will still have its claws dug in the deepest to Apple’s ecosystem. Last year, it was reported that Apple would pay $1 billion to Google to serve as the brains of a smarter Siri. Reportedly, Gemini will still handle some specific tasks within Siri and Apple Intelligence even if users choose a different chatbot to serve as its primary answer provider.
Apple has had nothing but trouble getting an AI-enabled Siri out the door. The company struggled to get its large language model-powered Siri up and running, resulting in delays, internal strife, and a corporate shakeup. Now that it seems like Apple has at least figured out a short-term solution to give Siri an AI boost, it also seems like the company is getting ready to inject the assistant into everything. There’s always an overcorrection.
Read the full article here
