Apple Considers Partnering with Anthropic or OpenAI to Enhance Siri's AI Capabilities

Apple reportedly considers letting Anthropic and OpenAI power Siri | TechCrunch

Apple is considering using AI models from OpenAI and Anthropic to power its updated version of Siri, rather than using technology the company has built in-house, according to a report from Bloomberg on Monday. The iPhone maker continues to build out a project internally dubbed "LLM Siri" that uses in-house AI models, according to Bloomberg. However, Apple has reportedly asked OpenAI and Anthropic to train versions of their AI models that can run on Apple's cloud infrastructure for testing. Apple was forced to delay its AI-enabled Siri, originally slated for 2025, until 2026 or later due to a series of technical challenges the company reportedly ran into. This failure may have been a long time coming; Apple has been falling behind Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic in the AI race for the last several years. While Siri can already call on ChatGPT for difficult questions, Apple now seems to be exploring a much deeper integration with technology from third-party AI providers.

Apple considers external AI partners to boost Siri smarts -- Anthropic and OpenAI reportedly in early talks to replace in-house models

Apple is seeking external models to run on its Private Cloud Compute servers Apple may be willing to look outside its walls to get Siri up to snuff with artificial intelligence features. According to a report from Bloomberg, the company is considering using tech from Anthropic or OpenAI to right its struggles in AI. This would be a massive change for Apple, which is currently using its in-house Apple Foundation Models to power its Apple Intelligence AI features. The Cupertino, California-based company has reportedly spoken to the two companies about training their models so that they can be deployed on Apple's own cloud infrastructure. Apple hasn't decided if it's using external models, and it reportedly still has a version of Siri using its own models in development. A version of Siri with AI features is expected in 2026, following delays from a version that was expected in iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS 15. Apple already uses OpenAI for some Siri features, answering search queries and creating generative content. But those are effectively an extension that you have to enable, and Apple still controls its assistant. Using a model from Anthropic or OpenAI could boost Apple into AI relevance and match what some other hardware manufacturers have done. Samsung has its own Galaxy AI features, for example, but also uses Google's Gemini (and that's the entire interface, not just the models). There have also been reports that Apple has considered outright purchasing Perplexity. Apple launched the iPhone 16 last year as "built for Apple Intelligence," but since then has appeared to be floundering in AI as it turned Siri over from AI head John Giannandrea to software engineering lead Craig Federighi and Siri boss Mike Rockwell (who previously launched the Vision Pro). Bloomberg states that switching to an external AI model is hurting morale among the AI team at a time when some tech companies are on the hunt for new talent and are willing to pay top dollar. Apple Intelligence and Siri don't just affect the iPhone. They're also on the iPad and the Mac. In losing Siri, Giannandrea also lost Apple's robotics department. And the Siri delays also reportedly delayed a new piece of hardware, a mix between the HomePod and iPad that would work as a home assistant, similar to an Amazon Echo Show. Apple's own models don't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. At WWDC, the company said it would open its on-device models, the likes of which are used for Genmoji and Writing Tools, to developers this year, letting third-party developers build AI features using its own tools. But those local models, while private, are slower and have proven less impressive than what can be done by competitors in the cloud. (Apple does have servers for some cloud-based requests.) Running a third-party model on Apple's servers may give Apple a mix of the two worlds, touting user privacy while also giving it a boost to catch up in the AI race.

Apple Weighs Using Anthropic or OpenAI to Power Siri in Major Reversal

Apple Inc. is considering using artificial intelligence technology from Anthropic PBC or OpenAI to power a new version of Siri, sidelining its own in-house models in a potentially blockbuster move aimed at turning around its flailing AI effort. The iPhone maker has talked with both companies about using their large language models for Siri, according to people familiar with the discussions. It has asked them to train versions of their models that could run on Apple's cloud infrastructure for testing, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations.

Apple weighs using Anthropic or OpenAI to power Siri in major reversal, Bloomberg News reports

June 30 (Reuters) - Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab is weighing using artificial intelligence technology from Anthropic or OpenAI to power a new version of Siri, instead of its own in-house models, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the discussions. (This story has been refiled to add the dropped word 'familiar' in paragraph 1) Reporting by Juby Babu in Mexico City; Editing by Alan Barona Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab Suggested Topics:Artificial Intelligence

Apple may power Siri with Anthropic or OpenAI models amid AI struggles

Apple is considering using AI models from OpenAI or Anthropic to deliver the more capable version of Siri it debuted at WWDC 2024, Bloomberg reports. The company has promised it could deliver a new version of its voice assistant that understands personal context and takes action inside of apps since last year, but officially delayed the updated Siri in March 2025. As part of this proposed new plan, Apple has asked Anthropic and OpenAI to train versions of its models that can run on Apple's Private Cloud Compute, secure servers running on Apple chips. The company already relies on its servers for certain AI features that can't be run locally. Apple uses OpenAI's ChatGPT for some parts of Apple Intelligence, but completely relying on a third-party company for Siri would be a major departure. "The company currently powers most of its AI features with homegrown technology that it calls Apple Foundation Models," Bloomberg writes,"and had been planning a new version of its voice assistant that runs on that technology for 2026." One of the few AI announcements Apple made at WWDC 2025 was to make those foundation models available to third-party developers. Even considering using third-party AI models reflects internal changes at Apple. Leadership of the company's AI teams has reportedly changed hands from John Giannandrea, Apple's senior vice president of machine learning and AI strategy, to Craig Federighi, the senior vice president of software engineering. Separately, Bloomberg reports Apple's Siri team is now being led by Mike Rockwell, who most recently oversaw the development of the Apple Vision Pro. As Bloomberg notes, an Anthropic or OpenAI-powered Siri would actually mirror Samsung's current approach to AI. Galaxy AI relies on some custom Samsung software, but primarily uses Google's Gemini. Using third-party models wouldn't preclude Apple from switching back to something in-house in the future. The company made a similar transition -- albeit, perhaps too early -- when it went from a Maps app that relied on Google Maps to its custom Apple Maps service in 2012.

Apple might ditch internal AI efforts for Siri revamp - 9to5Mac

Apple is in talks with Anthropic and OpenAI to power the revamped version of Siri, potentially sidelining its own in-house AI models in the process. Here are the details. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple has asked both OpenAI and Anthropic to train customized versions of their large language models that could run on Apple's Private Cloud Compute infrastructure. Rather than relying on third-party cloud platforms like AWS or Azure, these models would live on servers powered by Apple silicon, giving the company more control over privacy. Internally, the Siri revamp project has been led by Mike Rockwell and Craig Federighi, who were put in charge after Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly "lost confidence" in executive John Giannandrea to lead the initiative. Per Gurman's report, the roadmap for a fully Apple-powered "LLM Siri" in 2026 is still technically active, but multiple rounds of testing led to the conclusion that Anthropic's technology is currently better suited for Siri's needs than what Apple has built so far. Apple even dispatched corporate development VP Adrian Perica to lead discussions with Anthropic. Here's Gurman: Apple's investigation into third-party models is at an early stage, and the company hasn't made a final decision on using them, the people said. A competing project internally dubbed LLM Siri that uses in-house models remains in active development. That said, Apple and Anthropic are reportedly far apart on pricing. Here's Gurman: While discussing a potential arrangement, Apple and Anthropic have disagreed over preliminary financial terms, according to the people. The AI startup is seeking a multibillion-dollar annual fee that increases sharply each year. The struggle to reach a deal has left Apple contemplating working with OpenAI or others if it moves forward with the third-party plan, they said. Meanwhile, behind the scenes Gurman says that the potential shift to outside models isn't sitting well with everyone at Apple. Morale has reportedly taken a hit among the Foundation Models team, with some team members feeling scapegoated for the company's slow progress in generative AI, while others departed. Apple is also facing a compensation problem, as companies like Meta and OpenAI have reportedly been paying packages as high as $40 million per year, far more than Apple typically pays for similar roles. In one recent case, the team behind Apple's open-source MLX framework nearly quit en masse, before the company made counteroffers to keep them.

Apple Could Use ChatGPT or Claude to Power Siri

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.

Apple rumored to be in talks with Anthropic and OpenAI about powering new Siri

A rumor around Apple's AI initiatives suggests the company could turn to third parties instead of relying on its own Apple Intelligence for an upgraded Siri, but there's likely a different story. Apple has been in some hot water optically since it announced Apple Intelligence upgrades that never shipped. More zealous customers and shareholders feel betrayed by the company, and lawsuits have even sprung up because of it. However, according to a report from Bloomberg, Apple is exploring several options around how it can bring more powerful AI tools to its platforms. Specifically, it seems Apple could be looking to Anthropic or OpenAI to run the backend of an AI-powered Siri. Or, at least, that's what anonymous "people familiar with the matter" have shared. The report leans into this reasoning, flawed as it is, though there's likely a better explanation for Apple's discussions with the companies. It seems Craig Federighi and Mike Rockwell believe Apple Intelligence is inferior to other models and are seeking out external help. The people familiar with the situation suggest multiple talks are underway to develop special versions of ChatGPT and Claude for Apple's Private Cloud Compute servers. The move has allegedly caused frustration among Apple employees, which threaten to take some of Meta's or other competitor's lucrative deals and leave. The team consists of about 100 people, and Apple has even had to allegedly make special deals to keep some of the staff on. Of course, as with anything shared by some anonymous tipster, it needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Employees that speak out in such ways usually have an axe to grind, and there's nothing more salacious than a rumor that Apple's teams are crumbling. Whatever the people's reasons for leaking, let's examine this information from a less jaded perspective. Apple already works with OpenAI and Google on features that coincide with Apple Intelligence. Rumors have consistently pointed to Google Gemini eventually coming to iPhone as an alternative option to ChatGPT when speaking to Siri. There's also the new partnership with Anthropic to integrate Claude Sonnet into Xcode. It is clear Apple has already been investing heavily into third-party AI uses, so this report shouldn't be a surprise. Judging by how Federighi and Greg Joswiak discussed Apple Intelligence during WWDC interviews, it is hard to believe that they'd have a completely different opinion internally. Instead, while they are disappointed with being seen as behind other companies in AI, they've asserted they're running a completely different race. They even hinted at Apple's partnership with Google for search as how it was handling AI. Which is bringing in an external party that's the best at what it does to power something on iPhone. It is certainly likely that Apple is in discussions with Anthropic and OpenAI to build custom models that can run on Private Cloud Compute servers, but not to replace Apple Intelligence as a backend, but to support it. Today, when a user asks Siri to contact ChatGPT with a request, it is reaching out to the web and uploading data. Instead, custom versions running in Apple's servers would be ironclad with privacy restrictions and guarantee user data is safe. It would also mean enabling more private kinds of data being shared to the AI tools. While the report suggests this is Apple's failure in AI and reads as the usual doom and gloom expected in Apple reporting, the reality is likely much less severe. Apple's willingness to work with other AI companies to ensure users have private and secure access to many popular models should be seen as a boon and a victory. Apple Intelligence is running its own race, and Apple is at the forefront of ensuring private and secure AI can exist without siphoning critical and private user data. The Siri powered by Apple Intelligence is no doubt still coming, but it may have some third-party plugins from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and others that give users plenty of choice while remaining private.

Apple weighs using Anthropic or OpenAI to power Siri in major reversal

Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe. Apple is considering using artificial intelligence technology from Anthropic PBC or OpenAI to power a new version of Siri, sidelining its own in-house models in a potential blockbuster move aimed at turning around its flailing AI effort. The iPhone maker has talked with both companies about using their large language models for Siri, according to people familiar with the discussions. It has asked them to train versions of their models that could run on Apple's cloud infrastructure for testing, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations.

Apple mulls using OpenAI or Anthropic to power Siri in big reversal:...

Apple is weighing using artificial intelligence technology from Anthropic or OpenAI to power a new version of Siri, instead of its own in-house models, Bloomberg News reported Monday. The iPhone maker has had discussions with both companies about using their large language models for Siri, asking them to train versions of their LLMs that could run on Apple's cloud infrastructure for testing, the report said, citing people familiar with the discussions. Apple's investigation into third-party models is at an early stage and the company has not made a final decision on using them, the report said. Amazon-backed Anthropic declined to comment, while Apple and OpenAI did not respond to Reuters requests. The company had in March said AI improvements to its voice assistant Siri will be delayed until 2026, without giving a reason for the setback. Apple shook up its executive ranks to get its AI efforts back on track after months of delays, resulting in Mike Rockwell taking charge of Siri, as CEO Tim Cook lost confidence in AI head John Giannandrea's ability to execute on product development, Bloomberg had reported in March. Amid intense competition among major tech firms to dominate the burgeoning generative AI sector, Apple has been partnering with established AI companies and integrating a host of on-device AI features to enhance its offerings. In May, Bloomberg reported that Apple was teaming up with Anthropic on a new "vibe-coding" software platform that will use AI to write, edit and test code on behalf of programmers.

Apple weighs using Anthropic or OpenAI to power Siri in major reversal, Bloomberg News reports

(Reuters) -Apple is weighing using artificial intelligence technology from Anthropic or OpenAI to power a new version of Siri, instead of its own in-house models, Bloomberg News reported on Monday. The iPhone maker has had discussions with both companies about using their large language models for Siri, asking them to train versions of their LLMs that could run on Apple's cloud infrastructure for testing, the report said, citing people familiar with the discussions. Apple's investigation into third-party models is at an early stage and the company has not made a final decision on using them, the report said. Amazon-backed Anthropic declined to comment, while Apple and OpenAI did not respond to Reuters requests. The company had in March said AI improvements to its voice assistant Siri will be delayed until 2026, without giving a reason for the setback. Apple shook up its executive ranks to get its AI efforts back on track after months of delays, resulting in Mike Rockwell taking charge of Siri, as CEO Tim Cook lost confidence in AI head John Giannandrea's ability to execute on product development, Bloomberg had reported in March. Amid intense competition among major tech firms to dominate the burgeoning generative AI sector, Apple has been partnering with established AI companies and integrating a host of on-device AI features to enhance its offerings. In May, Bloomberg reported that Apple was teaming up with Anthropic on a new "vibe-coding" software platform that will use AI to write, edit and test code on behalf of programmers. (Reporting by Juby Babu in Mexico City; Editing by Alan Barona)