Cupertino explores third-party AI after delays in internal Siri revamp
Apple is reportedly exploring the use of artificial intelligence models from OpenAI or Anthropic to power a future version of Siri, according to a Bloomberg report on Monday. The company is said to be in early-stage talks with both firms about using their large language models (LLMs) as a foundation for Siri’s next-generation capabilities.
Shares of Apple rose 2% on Monday following the report. Discussions have involved training third-party LLMs that could run on Apple’s cloud infrastructure for testing, although no final decision has been made. Apple, OpenAI, and Anthropic declined to comment on the matter.
Delay in AI upgrades prompts shift in strategy
In March, Apple announced that upgrades to Siri’s AI functionality would be delayed until 2026, without disclosing specific reasons. Internal issues were later reported, including leadership shakeups within Apple’s AI division. CEO Tim Cook reportedly lost confidence in AI head John Giannandrea, leading to Mike Rockwell taking over Siri’s development efforts.
The new interest in external AI models signals Apple’s willingness to accelerate its roadmap by leveraging mature third-party technologies instead of waiting for its in-house models to catch up. If adopted, the collaboration could allow Apple to deliver more competitive voice assistant features in the short term, especially as rivals like Google and Amazon rapidly advance their AI products.
WWDC 2025 focused on practical, not flashy AI
At Apple’s recent Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), the company emphasized practical AI integrations, such as real-time phone call translations and smarter autocorrect, rather than bold moves into generative AI. Apple software chief Craig Federighi also announced the opening of Apple’s foundational AI models to third-party developers and the integration of both Apple’s and OpenAI’s code completion tools into developer platforms.
While competitors like Microsoft, Google, and Meta invest heavily in large-scale generative AI projects, Apple appears to be taking a more measured approach. Analysts suggest this could be due to its privacy-first philosophy and desire for tight integration between hardware and software.
Still, the possibility of running advanced third-party LLMs like those from OpenAI or Anthropic on Apple’s infrastructure marks a notable shift in its AI strategy. It also indicates that Siri—once a pioneering voice assistant—is set for a major upgrade to reclaim relevance in a rapidly evolving AI landscape.