Apple plans Siri web search tool to rival OpenAI

Apple is preparing to launch an AI-powered web search tool in 2026, aiming to compete with OpenAI and Perplexity AI.

The new system, called World Knowledge Answers, will be integrated into Siri and may later expand to Safari and Spotlight, according to sources familiar with the plans.

Apple is targeting a spring release as part of a planned overhaul of Siri, which has faced criticism for lagging behind in AI capabilities.

The tool will use large language models and is designed to help users search for information from across the internet, similar to ChatGPT or Google Search’s AI Overviews.

Apple is testing Google’s Gemini AI model for parts of the new Siri, while also considering Anthropic’s Claude and in-house models for different functions.

The iPhone maker intends to keep searches of user data on its own technology to maintain privacy.

The update is expected with iOS 26.4, which could arrive as early as March.

🔗 Source: Bloomberg

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Apple’s pivot to third-party AI models marks a major strategic departure from its traditional approach

Apple’s willingness to integrate external AI technology into Siri represents a fundamental shift from its historically closed ecosystem philosophy.

The company has been exploring third-party models from Anthropic and OpenAI after internal testing revealed that Anthropic’s Claude outperformed Apple’s own Foundation Models2.

This marks a significant change for a company that has traditionally kept core technologies in-house, particularly for flagship features like Siri that have run entirely on Apple technology since launch.

The shift has created internal uncertainty, with engineers expressing concerns about their roles amid the exploration of external partnerships2.

Current Siri already demonstrates this hybrid approach. While using Apple’s technology for most functions, it relies on Google or ChatGPT for complex queries it cannot handle internally1.