Apple is preparing to launch its most radical transformation in the history of its voice assistant, Siri, by turning it into an intelligent chatbot powered by advanced language models, a move that puts it squarely in competition with solutions like ChatGPT. This revelation comes in an exclusive report by journalist Mark Gurman, a specialist in Apple affairs, for Bloomberg.
According to sources familiar with the project, Apple is currently developing an enhanced version of Siri, internally codenamed "Campos." This version is slated to be integrated into iOS 27 and is expected to be a major announcement at the upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June.
The fundamental shift lies in the new Siri's ability to interact with users through both voice and text commands, a clear departure from the company's previous design philosophy.
This approach contrasts sharply with the previous stances of Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, who has repeatedly stated his reluctance to transform Siri into a mere chatbot, preferring instead to integrate artificial intelligence subtly into the user experience. But fierce competition and the success of rival chatbots have forced Apple to reassess its strategy. The pressure is mounting with the entry of OpenAI into the smart device market, led by Jony Ive, Apple's legendary former designer, posing a direct strategic threat to the company.
Apple implicitly acknowledges its lag in the AI race, following a series of delays in launching a more personalized version of Siri. Last year, the company invested in evaluating competing technologies from OpenAI and Anthropic, seeking a technology partner to bridge the gap.
End of the year, Apple opted for Google's Gemini model as its primary AI partner, a partnership officially announced earlier this month, paving the way for a new phase of deep integration between AI technologies and Apple's ecosystem.
