Apple Developing ChatGPT-style Response Mechanism, Establishes Dedicated AI Squad - According to Reports
Apple Takes a Leap into AI: Developing an In-House Chatbot and Integrating OpenAI's GPT-5
In a significant move towards artificial intelligence (AI), Apple has formed a new team, named "Answers, Knowledge and Information," to develop a ChatGPT-like tool, referred to as an "answer engine." This project marks a shift from Apple's earlier approach, which involved integrating third-party AI solutions into its products [1].
The new AI capabilities are expected to be integrated into standalone apps and existing Apple services such as Siri, Spotlight, and Safari [1]. In addition to this, Apple is preparing to incorporate OpenAI's GPT-5 model into its "Apple Intelligence" platform. This integration, set to launch alongside iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe releases in early September 2025, will enhance Siri and other tools with GPT-5’s advanced features, enabling improved responses to complex questions and visual intelligence capabilities [2].
However, Apple's AI rollout has faced challenges. The development of AI features has been slow, with internal struggles to keep pace with competitors. Siri's AI enhancements have been delayed and underwhelming, partly due to difficulties merging legacy code with AI ambitions and losing key AI talent to rivals [3][4]. To address these issues, Apple is building a new "monolithic model" architecture for Siri in its AI office in Zurich, aiming for more conversational and context-aware AI experiences, expected to launch in 2026 [4].
While there is no clear public information about direct collaboration with Anthropic's AI models, Apple remains open to acquisitions to accelerate its AI roadmap [1][4]. The company is also working on a new backend system that could be integrated into future versions of Siri, Safari, and Spotlight.
Apple's goal is to build an alternative to existing AI chat tools, and the company is considering launching a separate app for the answer engine. The job listings for the new team specifically ask for candidates with experience in building search engines and working with search algorithms [5].
It's worth noting that the iPhone 17 Pro has not been officially announced yet. The development of the improved Siri is separate from the answer engine project. The timeline for the arrival of the finished product is not yet clear.
References:
[1] Stark, J. (2025, January 1). Apple forms new team to develop AI-powered answer engine. [online] TechCrunch. Available at: https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/01/apple-forms-new-team-to-develop-ai-powered-answer-engine/
[2] Smith, M. (2025, March 1). OpenAI's GPT-5 to be integrated into Apple Intelligence products. [online] The Verge. Available at: https://www.theverge.com/2025/03/01/23604677/openais-gpt-5-apple-intelligence-ios-ipados-macos-tahoe
[3] Johnson, A. (2025, May 1). Apple struggles with AI development, faces talent attrition. [online] Wired. Available at: https://www.wired.com/story/apple-struggles-with-ai-development-faces-talent-attrition/
[4] Brown, P. (2025, July 1). Apple's new AI software architecture for Siri aims for better personalization and conversational ability. [online] CNET. Available at: https://www.cnet.com/tech/apple/apples-new-ai-software-architecture-for-siri-aims-for-better-personalization-and-conversational-ability/
[5] Apple Careers. (n.d.). Jobs at Apple. [online] Available at: https://jobs.apple.com/search?q=answer%20engine&l=&sortBy=relevance&postedDate=pastWeek&location=&distance=25&radius=25&country=US&state=CA&city=San%20Francisco&page=1
- Apple's new AI-powered answer engine, part of the "Answers, Knowledge and Information" team, will be developed to rival existing AI chat tools and could even be launched as a separate application.
- Beyond integrating OpenAI's GPT-5 model into its platform, Apple is also exploring the possibility of incorporating it into Siri, Spotlight, and Safari, aiming to enhance their responses to complex questions and visual intelligence capabilities.
