Apple’s Siri to Get Major AI Upgrade in 2026, Report Says
▼ Summary
– Apple is developing an AI-powered search engine called World Knowledge Answers, set to debut next spring as part of a major Siri overhaul.
– The new system aims to transform Siri into an “answer engine” that pulls and summarizes web information, similar to Google’s AI Overviews and ChatGPT.
– It will generate summaries blending text, images, video, and local results, expanding beyond Siri’s current capabilities to Safari and Spotlight.
– Apple will partly rely on Google’s Gemini AI model and incorporate large language models to make responses more conversational and accurate.
– This move could reshape how billions of queries are handled on iPhones, affecting brand visibility based on how Apple’s AI surfaces and summarizes content.
Apple is reportedly developing a major artificial intelligence upgrade for Siri, set to launch in 2026. According to sources, the tech giant is working on an AI-powered search engine internally referred to as World Knowledge Answers. This initiative aims to fundamentally transform Siri from a voice assistant into a sophisticated answer engine capable of retrieving and synthesizing information from across the internet.
The enhanced Siri will function more like modern AI tools such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews. Rather than simply checking facts or fetching predefined answers, the new system will generate rich, multi-format summaries that incorporate text, images, videos, and localized results. This represents a significant leap beyond Siri’s current capabilities and is designed to deliver more comprehensive and context-aware responses.
Beyond Siri, Apple intends to integrate this AI search functionality into Safari and Spotlight, embedding it deeply into the iOS and macOS user experience. This expansion would position Apple as a more central player in everyday search activities, challenging established competitors in the AI and search markets.
Behind the scenes, Apple is said to be leveraging Google’s Gemini AI model to power certain aspects of the new search experience. The overhaul is built on large language models (LLMs) and includes new features like a planner and summarizer to make interactions more natural, accurate, and conversational.
While Apple explored the idea of a standalone chatbot application, the company has opted, at least for now, to weave these advanced AI capabilities directly into Siri and other core system features. This integrated approach ensures that the technology reaches users through tools they already use daily.
The implications of Apple’s move into AI search are substantial. With billions of queries processed on iPhones each day, how information is retrieved and presented could change dramatically. For brands and content creators, visibility may soon depend not only on traditional search engine rankings but also on how effectively Apple’s AI systems surface, interpret, and summarize their content in both voice and visual responses.
(Source: Search Engine Land)
