Apple is reportedly developing an AI-driven search feature for Siri, as indicated by a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The project may involve collaboration with Google, which is currently positioned to assist Apple in this initiative. The new feature, internally dubbed “World Knowledge Answers,” aims to enable users to search for information and receive AI-generated summaries based on online results. Its design will include text, images, videos, and points of interest, positioning it to compete with similar offerings from companies like OpenAI and Perplexity.
This move to enhance Siri with AI capabilities is part of Apple’s ongoing efforts to upgrade its voice assistant, which has faced delays. The updated Siri is expected to leverage personal data and take actions based on visible content. Reports suggest that it will utilize a planner to interpret voice or text commands, a search system to scan user data or the internet, and a summarizer to present the information effectively.
In recent developments, Apple and Google have reached a formal agreement for Apple to evaluate a Google-developed AI model for generating summaries within Siri. Apple appears to plan to implement its own AI models for searching user data while also considering Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini for Siri’s planning functions.
Despite the impending release of the iPhone 17 lineup next week, the launch of the AI-enhanced Siri is expected alongside iOS 16.4, potentially as soon as March of the following year. This timeline suggests a significant evolution in how Siri will operate and interact with users in the future.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/770712/apple-ai-search-tool-siri-google-gemini