Apple plans to launch an AI-powered web search tool for Siri next year, competing with OpenAI

Apple plans to launch an AI-powered web search tool for Siri next year, competing with rivals such as OpenAI and Perplexity.

On September 3, media reports indicated that Apple is developing a new system codenamed "World Knowledge Answers," which will be integrated into the Siri voice assistant.

Apple has also discussed eventually adding this technology to its Safari web browser and the Spotlight feature used for searching on the iPhone home screen.

The new search and Siri upgrade plan will be introduced in a software update named Luck E, corresponding to iOS version 26.4, which is expected to be released as early as March next year. Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17 series next Tuesday.

This week, Apple reached a formal agreement with Google to evaluate and test AI models developed by Google to enhance Siri's capabilities. This collaboration may provide technical support for Apple's new search tool while maintaining relationships with traditional search partners.

Leveraging Google's Gemini, Siri Gets a Comprehensive Upgrade

For a long time, Siri has struggled with complex or common-sense questions, often directing users to Google Search or ChatGPT, which is seen as a symbol of Apple's lag in the AI field.

The technological innovation codenamed "Linwood" and "Large Language Model Siri" aims to fundamentally change this situation.

Craig Federighi, Apple's head of software engineering, hinted at a larger-scale upgrade plan during a recent employee meeting. He stated:

The end-to-end transformation we are making to Siri has achieved the results we need, allowing us not only to deliver what has been announced but also to bring upgrades that are much larger than we had envisioned.

The new Siri will be rebuilt around three core components—Planner, Search System, and Summarizer:

• Planner interprets voice or text input and decides how to respond.
• Search System scans the web or user data.
• Summarizer consolidates all information into answers.

Currently, Apple is inclined to use a customized version of Google's Gemini model to perform the function of the "Summarizer," which will run on Apple's own private cloud computing servers. Google has delivered this technology to Apple, and both parties are collaborating on fine-tuning and testing.

Additionally, Apple is also evaluating the use of Google's model or Anthropic's Claude model to support the "Planner" function.

In the partner selection process, Anthropic was initially the frontrunner, with internal evaluations showing that Claude outperformed Gemini in quality. However, Anthropic demanded a high fee of over $1.5 billion annually, while Google offered more favorable financial terms, ultimately leading Apple to choose GoogleTo protect user privacy, Apple will continue to use its self-developed "Apple Foundation Model" when searching user personal device data.

In addition to the AI search upgrade in the first half of next year, Apple has also planned a longer-term product blueprint.

The company plans to visually redesign Siri by 2026 and launch a paid health subscription service powered by health AI.

Furthermore, Apple is developing more powerful Siri conversational capabilities for future home devices, aimed at enhancing its competitiveness in the era of artificial intelligence.

Acquisition Strategy and Talent Loss Challenges

During the development of the new Siri, Apple considered a range of potential acquisitions.

Reportedly, the company discussed the possibility of acquiring Perplexity and Mistral. Apple executives recently held a meeting with the French AI startup Mistral in July.

However, Wallstreetcn mentioned that Apple's AI team is continuously "bleeding talent."

At the beginning of July, the creator and head of the Apple Foundation Model team, Pang Ruoming, left for Meta, receiving a compensation package of over $200 million.

Subsequently, about 10 team members left, most of whom followed Pang Ruoming to the social networking giant.

Last week, three more key AI researchers left: John Peebles and Nan Du joined OpenAI, while Meng Zhao joined Anthropic