Siri’s reinvention: Apple looking to build an "Answer Engine", may lean on Google to take on ChatGPT, Perplexity

Apple

Apple is preparing to relaunch Siri with one of its most ambitious upgrades in years, according to Bloomberg. First announced in mid-2024, the revamp was meant to give the voice assistant more intelligence by letting it pull from user data and on-screen content. But Apple delayed the rollout earlier this year, citing architectural issues and management changes.

Now, according to Bloomberg, the company is on course to deliver the update in spring — and there’s more in store. Alongside the new Siri, Apple is building a search product called World Knowledge Answers (WKA). This “answer engine” is designed to take on rivals like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Perplexity, with plans to integrate it not only into Siri but eventually into Safari and Spotlight.

The bigger twist is Apple’s willingness to bring in outside AI muscle. Talks have been held with OpenAI and Anthropic, with the latter nearly signing a deal. But the latest development is Apple testing Google’s Gemini under a new evaluation agreement. Current signals point toward a hybrid approach, blending Apple’s own models with Google’s tech, while still maintaining existing arrangements with Anthropic’s Claude.

For Apple, the stakes are high. Siri has long trailed competitors in usefulness, and an AI-powered reboot could shift that perception. The inclusion of a dedicated “answer engine” suggests Apple wants to position itself not just in voice assistants, but in the broader AI search race.

The final decision on model providers isn’t locked, but with a spring release window, Apple doesn’t have long to choose. If successful, Siri could evolve from a laggard into a genuine challenger in the fast-moving AI space.