Apple Plans to Expand AI Partnerships Beyond OpenAI as Revamped Siri Targets 2026 Launch

Tim Cook says more AIs are coming to Apple Intelligence

Tim Cook says Apple has plans to embed more third-party AI tools into the company's operating systems. "Our intention is to integrate with more people over time," Cook said in an interview with CNBC. Apple has already embedded ChatGPT into Siri, with a Google Gemini integration said to be in the works, along with rumors swirling about a partnership with Anthropic and Perplexity. This isn't the first time we're hearing about third-party integrations, as Apple software SVP Craig Federighi said last year that the company "may look forward to doing integrations with different models like Google Gemini in the future." Cook also said that Apple is on track to release an AI-upgraded Siri next year, adding that "our intention is to integrate with more people over time." Apple is "making good progress" on Siri, he added during an earnings call on Thursday, noting that AI acquisitions are still on the table. "We are open to pursuing M&A [mergers and acquisitions] if we think that it will advance our roadmap," Cook said, echoing a statement from July. The news comes as Apple releases its fourth quarter earnings results, which revealed that the company raked in a record $102.5 billion over the past few months, marking an eight percent increase when compared to the same time last year. Even with last month's launch of the iPhone 17, Apple has yet to realize its plans for AI, which is supposed to bring an enhanced Siri across its devices. A recent report from Bloomberg suggested that Apple could partner with Google to build an AI search tool for Siri. Google CEO Sundar Pichai also confirmed last year that the company is working on Gemini support for the iPhone. Sales from the iPhone 17 lineup likely only make up a small portion of Apple's overall $49.03 billion in iPhone revenue. The new lineup includes the iPhone Air -- Apple's thinnest device yet -- along with the upgraded iPhone 17 and 17 Pro. This year, Apple brought some features previously reserved for its Pro-level iPhones to its entry-level device, including an always-on display with ProMotion support for smoother scrolling. Apple's Mac revenue rose to $8.72 billion, and it reported $6.95 billion in revenue from iPads. Apple's services division, which includes subscriptions to Apple TV, Apple Music, Apple Fitness Plus, and Apple Arcade, grew to $28.8 billion.

Cook: Apple to 'integrate with more' AI providers beyond OpenAI - 9to5Mac

Alongside today's Q4 earnings conference call, Apple CEO Tim Cook also spoke with CNBC, where he addressed Apple's predicament in the AI field. Here's what he said. When Apple announced its partnership with OpenAI as part of the Apple Intelligence toolset, it wasn't long before Craig Federighi, the company's Senior Vice President of Software, confirmed that their plans included "doing integrations with different models like Google Gemini in the future." His remarks came at the height of Google's antitrust woes, and the expectation was that Google and Apple were possibly waiting on the outcome of the case to move forward with an announcement. Cut to the present, and despite Google's overall positive outcome, Apple has yet to confirm a partnership, either with Google or any other AI provider. Behind the scenes, Apple has been laying the groundwork for MCP support on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. MCP, or Model Context Protocol, is an open standard created by Anthropic that allows interoperability between AI models, and user-facing tools and applications. Additionally, the company has been working on expanding support for third-party models on Image Playground beyond ChatGPT. However, Apple has yet to announce any concrete plans to expand its partnerships beyond the ChatGPT integration with Siri and its Writing Tools feature. When asked about it by CNBC, Cook didn't share any specifics, but claimed that Apple's "intention is to integrate with more people over time". Cook's remarks follow a series of forward-looking statements made by Apple to make up for its AI fumbles. While it is true that company has been delivering on useful machine learning-based features, such as car crash detection, AirPods live translation, high blood pressure alerts onthe Apple Watch, expectations have been mounting for the company to deliver on what the general public has grown more accustomed to calling AI, which are interactive, LLM-based products, some of which can act on the user's behalf. In addition to missing and extending deadlines for new AI products and features, Apple has also been facing a relentless talent exodus, with multiple AI leaders and research engineers defecting to companies such as Meta, OpenAI, Anthropic, and others. Although welcome, Cook's limited claim that Apple's "intention is to integrate with more people over time" does little to reassure concerns about the company's short-term AI roadmap. In fact, it serves as a reminder that Apple has yet to announce any tangible progress or near-term plans, exactly three months after calling a company-wide meeting to reassure its employees that AI "sort of ours to grab," and that Apple would "make the investment to do it." Do you think Apple is anywhere close to announcing a new AI partnership? Let us know in the comments.

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As a preamble to earnings, CEO Tim Cook said Apple is still looking to partner with companies other than OpenAI for Apple Intelligence integrations, but nothing is ready to be announced just yet. Apple's Q4 earnings are in, and it's a good one that beats Wall Street expectations, though iPhone sales aren't increasing at a rate investors would like to see. Another significant interest for investors is AI, which Apple CEO Tim Cook did comment on in regards to earnings. According to a quote shared by CNBC live on their cable show, Cook shared that more AI integrations are coming, but there's nothing to announce. This aligns with previous rumors that Apple was in talks with Anthropic and OpenAI to bring versions of their models to Apple's Private Cloud Compute. These moves are of interest to investors since Apple Intelligence didn't catch the world on fire at launch. It did spike demand for iPhone, at least briefly, but a supercycle never took place driven by AI. Apple delayed select features for Apple Intelligence when it discovered the implementation, tying ML and AI systems together, wasn't providing satisfactory results. So, after going back to the drawing board, Apple plans to release a fully LLM-backed Siri with app intent control in early 2026. Cook says that the planned launch of the delayed features is still on track. That launch should also coincide with new AI partnerships, but nothing has been shared just yet about how that might work. There have been hints, like Apple's requests to bring models to Private Cloud Compute to maintain consumer data privacy. There's also the addition of Model Context Protocol in iOS 26.1 that'll further improve Apple's ability to tie third-party AI to iPhone functions. Fans of artificial intelligence need only wait a little longer for Apple's AI ecosystem to come together. Once launched, it should showcase Apple's vertical integration of hardware and software in a way that competitors can't match, making it a powerful AI platform. Investors hope this will drive an upgrade cycle for the latest iPhone models that can run AI. It should drive demand for lower-priced iPhone 16, the latest iPhone 17 models, and the spring's iPhone 17e -- all of which can run Apple Intelligence.

Apple CEO Confirms Partnership Plans for AI Services Beyond OpenAI

A revamped Siri with advanced AI capabilities could launch next yead Apple has intentions of integrating with more artificial intelligence (AI) companies beyond OpenAI, CEO Tim Cook said in a conversation with a publication on Thursday. The Cupertino-based tech giant has long been rumoured to form partnerships with AI firms to have their large language models (LLMs) power features on iPhone and other Apple devices. The Apple executive also hinted towards a release timeline of Siri with more advanced capabilities, which is yet to arrive after its 2024 showcase. Apple to Form More AI Partnerships Following Apple's fiscal Q4 2025 earnings call, CEO Tim Cook sat down with CNBC to share information about the company's plans. When asked about any concrete plans for expanding partnerships beyond OpenAI, Cook highlighted that Apple's "intention is to integrate with more people over time". However, the executive did not delve into any specifics. At present, the Cupertino-based tech giant leverages its proprietary LLMs, along with OpenAI's ChatGPT, to power Apple Intelligence features like Siri, Visual Intelligence, and Writing Tools on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Following the Apple-OpenAI partnership announcement in 2024, Apple Senior Vice President of Software Craig Federighi claimed that it would also offer integration with models like Google's Gemini "in the future". And while this integration is yet to arrive, he company has been rumoured to be taking steps to ensure it happens. In September, it was reported that Apple was bringing Model Context Protocol (MCP) support for its devices. Created by Anthropic, MCP is an open standard that enables interoperability between AI models, public-facing tools, and apps. The company was said to offer MCP support via App Intents to allow apps to share actions and features with AI platforms and agents. Revamped Siri on the Way During the conversation, the Apple CEO also confirmed that the revamped Siri with advanced capabilities will be released next year, corroborating the previously leaked timeline. The AI-based voice assistant was due to receive major upgrades in 2024 with iOS 18, but most of those plans were shelved as it fell behind competitors in the AI race. Earlier this year, it was also reported that Apple was contemplating moving away from its in-house models for Siri's AI-powered features and leveraging Anthropic or OpenAI's AI models instead. These would be used by Siri to deliver human-like responses, the ability to integrate with first-party and third-party apps, and the ability to perform more complex tasks that span multiple interfaces.

Tim Cook: The New Siri Under The Apple Intelligence Banner To Debut In 2026

Ever since Apple announced its AI strategy revamp under the Apple Intelligence banner, there is a perception that it has been struggling to maintain a swift pace with its lofty ambitions. There are increasing signs, however, that Apple is making some much-needed headway in this sphere, as per the tidbits gleaned from Apple's Q3 2025 Earnings Call. Do note that Apple has been working to introduce a number of key Apple Intelligence features with its Spring 2026 iOS update (iOS 26.4 most likely). These include: Of course, Apple Mac users can already enjoy most of these features, courtesy of the Sky app, which is basically an AI assistant for macOS that leverages the power of AI models in the following ways: Do note that OpenAI recently acquired Software Applications Incorporated, the company behind the Sky app. Apple's Tim Cook just revealed the following tidbits about Apple Intelligence and the new Siri: Coming to the topic at hand, Tim Cook just said that Apple is making "good progress" on the new Siri under the banner of Apple Intelligence, and that the revamped voice assistant remains on course for a 2026 launch. Do note that all is not smooth sailing for Apple Intelligence, however. Bloomberg reported back in August that Apple engineers were struggling to ensure that Siri performed adequately across apps, and in critical scenarios such as banking. And Ke Yang, who was appointed the head of Apple's Answers, Knowledge and Information (AKI) team only weeks earlier, is now reportedly leaving for a lucrative stint at Meta Platforms Inc.

Apple's revamped Siri on track to debut in 2026, confirms Tim Cook

Cook said that Apple is "making good progress" on the new Siri and is open to acquisitions that could support its AI goals. Apple first announced the upgraded Siri at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2024. The company had initially planned to launch the new version in late 2024. However, the release has been delayed multiple times, with recent reports indicating a potential rollout in spring 2026. Now, Apple CEO Tim Cook has confirmed to CNBC that the company is on track to launch an upgraded, AI-powered version of Siri next year. Cook also revealed Apple plans to bring more third-party artificial intelligence tools to its systems over time. "Our intention is to integrate with more people over time," he said. Well, Apple has already integrated OpenAI's ChatGPT into Siri, and reports suggest that Google's Gemini could be next. There are also rumours that Apple may work with Anthropic and Perplexity to expand its AI partnerships. Also read: Apple plans OLED upgrades for MacBook Air, iPad Air and iPad mini: Report During the company's recent earnings call, Cook said that Apple is "making good progress" on the new Siri and is open to acquisitions that could support its AI goals. "We are open to pursuing M&A [mergers and acquisitions] if we think that it will advance our roadmap," he said. A recent Bloomberg report suggested that Apple could partner with Google to build an AI-powered search tool for Siri. Google CEO Sundar Pichai also confirmed last year that Gemini support for the iPhone is in the works. Meanwhile, Apple is also reportedly preparing major updates to some of its most popular devices, including the MacBook Air, iPad Air, and iPad mini. The company is said to be testing new versions of these products equipped with OLED displays. This display technology delivers deeper blacks, more vibrant colours, and improved contrast compared to the current LCD screens. This could potentially make the upcoming models even more attractive to consumers.