United States, September 3, 2025 — Apple is preparing to overhaul its voice assistant Siri with a powerful new AI-driven search engine that will transform it into a full-fledged “answer engine,” capable of rivaling offerings from Google and OpenAI. The initiative, internally codenamed “World Knowledge Answers,” aims to embed generative AI directly into Apple’s ecosystem, creating richer, more interactive responses that blend text, images, video, and location-based data.
According to people familiar with the matter, the company has already struck an agreement with Google to adapt its Gemini AI model for use in Apple’s cloud environment. Under this arrangement, Apple will control user data security and on-device processing, while Google’s Gemini will provide the broader web summarization needed to power Siri’s responses. The system is expected to integrate not just into Siri, but later into Safari search and Spotlight on iOS and macOS devices.
The technology architecture underpinning the project is designed around three modular AI components: a planner to interpret user intent, a search system to gather information from both the web and local device data, and a summarizer to generate natural, multimedia-rich answers. Apple executives see this as a critical leap forward, shifting Siri from being a limited voice assistant into a more versatile tool for information discovery and productivity.
The company is targeting a rollout of the enhanced Siri alongside iOS 26.4 in spring 2026, following the release of the iPhone 17. Analysts say the move signals Apple’s determination to catch up with competitors in the fast-moving AI race. While Google and OpenAI have already gained traction with Gemini and ChatGPT, Apple’s entry could reshape how millions of users interact with AI daily—particularly if Siri’s new features are deeply embedded across devices.
Industry observers note that this strategy balances Apple’s trademark focus on privacy and user control with the raw power of third-party AI models. By combining in-house AI for sensitive, on-device queries with Google’s Gemini for expansive web tasks, Apple seeks to differentiate its offering from rivals while delivering the sophistication consumers now expect.
If successful, the move could not only revitalise Siri but also position Apple as a significant player in the AI-powered search engine market, potentially challenging Google’s long-standing dominance in digital search and OpenAI’s meteoric rise in conversational AI.
