Apple (AAPL) plans to open its voice assistant Siri to external artificial intelligence assistants, a move aimed at further reinforcing the iPhone’s core role as an AI platform. This major change will be part of the Siri upgrade in the upcoming iOS 27 operating system update. Currently, Siri can already access ChatGPT through a partnership with OpenAI, and in the future, Apple will allow it to integrate with more competing products.
It is understood that Apple is developing new tools to enable AI chatbot apps installed via the App Store to integrate with Siri. These chatbots will also work in conjunction with a forthcoming Siri app and other features within the Apple Intelligence platform.
This means that if users install apps such as Google’s (GOOGL) Gemini or Anthropic’s Claude, they will be able to send queries to these services through the Siri voice assistant, operating in the same way as using ChatGPT since the launch of Apple Intelligence in 2024. This move will also end ChatGPT’s exclusive role within Apple’s software.
The new strategy will eliminate the need for one-off integration agreements like the one with ChatGPT, allowing Apple to introduce multiple external AI services more quickly, potentially expanding the use of AI across its operating system without the need for complex commercial negotiations. Currently, users can route Siri queries to ChatGPT through an explicit request; under the new system, users will specify which AI service to use for each query. Other major AI platforms, including Perplexity, Amazon’s (AMZN) Alexa, Meta’s (META) Meta AI, xAI’s Grok, and Microsoft’s (MSFT) Copilot, are already available as apps on Apple’s platform. It remains unclear whether Apple will allow any AI app to access Siri or establish a specific approval process.
Through this change, Apple can take a cut from paid subscriptions to competing AI services promoted on its devices, thereby expanding its services revenue. Currently, Apple already generates revenue by providing its payment system when users sign up for higher-tier ChatGPT subscriptions. This new strategy is separate from another ongoing effort by Apple to rebuild Siri’s underlying technology in collaboration with Google using the Gemini model. The new “extension system” will allow users to process requests through the actual Gemini service, provided Google allows its app to support the feature.
The extension system, currently in testing, will allow users to enable or disable services they wish to run within Siri through the Apple Intelligence and Siri menu in the settings panel of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27. According to a prompt in the beta operating system, the extension feature allows agents from installed apps to work in conjunction with Siri, the Siri app, and other features on the device. Users will also be able to access a new section of the App Store through this menu to add more AI services.
Furthermore, opening up Siri is just one of several AI initiatives Apple is advancing. It is reported that Apple is preparing to launch a Siri app and a new interface, while also integrating Siri with Spotlight search and adding new entry points such as “Ask Siri” and “Write with Siri” toggles. Apple plans to announce its latest software at the Worldwide Developers Conference on June 8, and these features may still be subject to change or delay before then. The iPhone maker has promised on its website to share details about “AI advancements” at the event.
