Apple may fix its Siri failings by partnering with ChatGPT creator OpenAI or Claude creator Anthropic, reports Bloomberg. Apple has been meeting with OpenAI and Anthropic to discuss a potential deal that would see a third-party large language model used as the backbone for Siri.
Both companies are training versions of their models that would work with Apple's Private Cloud Compute servers, and Apple is running tests, but hasn't made a final decision on whether to abandon Siri. So far, Apple has found that Anthropic's AI models are the best fit for Siri, and Apple and Anthropic have already discussed some preliminary financial terms. Bloomberg says that Anthropic is asking for a multibillion-dollar annual fee that increases over time, which is why Apple is also considering partnering with other companies like OpenAI.
Apple has been training a large language model for a future version of Siri, but it is no secret that Apple has been struggling with AI. Apple previewed several new Siri capabilities at the June 2024 WWDC keynote and advertised the iPhone 16 models with the functionality, but ultimately wasn't able to develop the technology in time.
In March, Apple said that the Apple Intelligence Siri features would be delayed until 2026, sparking customer outrage and spurring several lawsuits. Apple now plans to introduce those features in an update to iOS 26.
Apple's work on an LLM version of Siri is separate from the personalized Siri features that are coming in iOS 26. LLM Siri is planned as a follow up to the new features coming in iOS 26, and it will presumably debut in iOS 27 in the fall of 2026.
Partnering with Anthropic or OpenAI would give Apple time to work on its own AI models while still delivering modern AI features that customers have come to expect. Apple already partners with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into Siri, and iOS 18 users are able to have Siri pass requests on to ChatGPT for more detailed answers.
