Apple is preparing one of the biggest changes to Siri since the voice assistant's launch over a decade ago. The company plans to open Siri to outside artificial intelligence assistants as part of a major overhaul in its upcoming iOS 27 operating system update, according to Bloomberg. The move will end OpenAI's exclusive partnership with Apple and transform the iPhone into what many are calling a neutral platform for the AI wars.
How It Will Work
Apple is developing a new system called "Extensions" that will allow AI chatbot apps installed through the App Store to plug directly into Siri. iPhone users will be able to select which AI services they want to use inside Siri through new options in the Apple Intelligence and Siri section of the Settings app, with Apple providing download links for chatbot apps.
That means, for instance, if users have Google Gemini or Anthropic's Claude installed, they would be able to send queries to those services from within Siri, just like they have been able to with ChatGPT since Apple Intelligence launched in 2024.
In this setup, Siri would function more like a gateway that routes user requests to different AI systems and then returns the responses — a dramatic departure from the closed, single-partner approach Apple has relied on until now.
The updated Siri will support both text and voice input, a departure from the voice-first experience the assistant has offered since its launch. Apple is also unifying Siri with its Spotlight search feature and adding new entry points like "Ask Siri" and "Write with Siri" toggles.
OpenAI's Exclusivity Is Over
OpenAI has held the only seat at Siri's table since Apple announced their partnership at WWDC 2024. That changes with iOS 27. The ChatGPT integration was widely celebrated at the time as a massive distribution win for Sam Altman's company, giving billions of iPhone users a direct path to its chatbot. That exclusivity lasted less than two years.
For AI companies, the stakes are substantial — there are already several AI platforms in the App Store, including Amazon's Alexa, Meta AI, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity, and xAI's Grok, all of which could potentially gain direct access to Siri's query pipeline across Apple's installed base of over a billion devices.
A Revenue Play Disguised as an AI Strategy
Bloomberg suggests that expanding Siri integration to other chatbots will allow Apple to generate more money from third-party AI subscriptions made through the App Store. Apple already makes money from the current ChatGPT service by offering up its payment system when customers sign up for higher-end tiers. Opening the floodgates to multiple AI providers could significantly amplify that revenue stream.
The move also reflects Apple's broader efforts to catch up with rivals that have moved faster in generative AI and to transform the iPhone into a versatile AI platform. Rather than trying to build the best AI model itself, Apple appears to be betting on building the distribution layer that all AI must pass through to reach its massive user base.
Gemini's Dual Role
The Extensions system is separate from Apple's ongoing work with Google to rebuild parts of Siri using Gemini models, which is related to the underlying Apple technology powering Siri. The new Extensions system would instead allow users to process requests via the actual Gemini service — assuming Google enables its app to do so.
This distinction is important: Google may end up powering Siri behind the scenes while also competing for user attention as a selectable third-party option in the same interface.
The news initially weighed on Google's shares, sending them to a session low on Thursday. The stock closed at $280.92, down 3.4%, while Apple was little changed at $252.89.
When to Expect It
Apple will reveal the first official preview of these features during the upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2026. The capability is expected to roll out with iOS 27 in late 2026.
During the original development of Apple Intelligence, the company had envisioned Siri connecting to multiple AI services and gave examples of specialized chatbots, such as one for doctors. It appears that long-term vision is finally being realized — just not with Apple's own AI at the center, but with every major competitor fighting for space on the world's most valuable smartphone platform.
