Apple Explores AI Partnerships for Siri Upgrade

Apple is reportedly in early discussions with leading AI companies OpenAI and Anthropic to potentially power future versions of Siri. This move represents a significant shift from Apple’s traditional approach of developing all key technologies in-house. The initiative comes as Apple faces challenges in bringing its own large language models (LLMs) up to the performance standards of its competitors.

Internally, Apple has encountered difficulties in meeting performance expectations for Siri’s AI upgrade, leading to leadership changes within the team. As a result, the company is now evaluating external solutions to bridge the gap, especially as competitors like Google and Samsung make rapid advancements in AI technology.

Apple’s experiments with these external LLMs are not typical cloud integrations. Instead, the company is customizing and running these models on its own private cloud infrastructure. This approach allows Apple to maintain its strong privacy standards while exploring the performance benefits of advanced third-party AI systems. Anthropic’s Claude is reportedly being seen as a particularly strong contender. However, Apple is still considering multiple options, including further development of its internal models.

No final decision has been made yet, but Apple is preparing for all outcomes. The revamped Siri is targeted for a 2026 release. If the company decides to go with an external LLM, users could see a vastly more conversational and capable Siri—while still enjoying Apple’s trademark privacy protections. For users, this could mean faster, more accurate voice responses, broader contextual understanding, and smarter integrations across Apple devices. For Apple, it represents a major strategic pivot in how it approaches AI.

This strategic shift suggests that Apple is acknowledging the need to leverage external expertise to stay competitive in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. While Apple has historically preferred to build its own technology stack, the current talks about Siri's upgrade reflect a pragmatic approach to integrating cutting-edge AI solutions. The decision to consider third-party AI models for Siri underscores Apple's commitment to enhancing its AI capabilities. By exploring partnerships with leading AI companies, Apple aims to address the limitations of its current AI technology and provide users with a more advanced and responsive virtual assistant. This move could position Apple more competitively in the AI race, allowing it to offer innovative features and services that meet the evolving needs of its users.