Apple’s Siri May Get an AI Upgrade Powered by Google
▼ Summary
– Apple is developing an AI-powered search feature for Siri, potentially with Google’s help using a custom Gemini model.
– The feature, internally called “World Knowledge Answers,” will provide AI-generated summaries from web results and include multimedia content.
– This upgrade is part of Apple’s delayed plans to enhance Siri with capabilities to access personal data and perform on-screen actions.
– Apple and Google have a formal agreement to test a Google-designed AI model for Siri’s summaries, while Apple evaluates other models for planning functions.
– The AI-upgraded Siri is expected to launch with iOS 26.4 as early as next March, despite the iPhone 17 unveiling next week.
Apple is reportedly developing a major artificial intelligence enhancement for Siri, potentially powered by Google’s Gemini technology. This move signals a significant shift in the company’s approach to integrating advanced AI capabilities into its ecosystem, aiming to keep pace with competitors in the rapidly evolving digital assistant landscape.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Apple is in advanced discussions with Google to license a custom version of the Gemini AI model. This partnership would enable Siri to deliver more sophisticated, context-aware responses by leveraging Google’s generative AI infrastructure. The initiative, internally referred to as “World Knowledge Answers,” is designed to transform Siri from a reactive voice assistant into a proactive, information-rich tool capable of summarizing web content and presenting multimedia results.
The upgraded Siri is expected to incorporate a multi-layered architecture, including a planner to interpret user requests, a search system to scan both personal and public data, and a summarization engine to condense information into digestible responses. While Apple intends to use its own AI models for handling user data, it is still evaluating external options like Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini for broader planning functions.
A formal agreement between Apple and Google is already in place, allowing testing of Google’s AI model for Siri’s summarization features. This collaboration could mark one of the most significant integrations between the two tech giants in recent years, blending Apple’s hardware and privacy focus with Google’s AI expertise.
Although Apple is set to unveil its latest iPhone lineup soon, the AI-enhanced Siri is not expected to debut until early next year, likely launching alongside iOS 26.4 around March. This timeline suggests Apple is taking a deliberate approach to ensure seamless integration and robust performance before rolling out the feature to millions of users worldwide.
(Source: The Verge)
