Apple Plans to Relaunch "LLM Siri" to Compete with ChatGPT

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is gearing up for a significant AI upgrade to Siri, aiming to bring it closer to OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini Live. The assistant, reportedly named "LLM Siri," will utilize Apple's proprietary AI models, enabling users to engage in more natural and seamless conversational interactions with Siri.

As part of Apple's initiative to integrate AI into the iPhone, Bloomberg highlights that the company will enhance Siri's ability to handle more advanced tasks. The upgraded Siri will feature "Extended" capabilities, enabling interaction with third-party apps via App Intents, as well as leveraging Apple's intelligent technologies to summarize and compose text.

While Apple might announce these plans as early as next year, Bloomberg reports that the company intends to replace Siri's underlying software with a new system by spring 2026. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal last month, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Craig Federighi hinted at how the AI-enhanced Siri will differentiate itself from ChatGPT:

"Like advanced voice models from OpenAI and Siri, their characteristics are fundamentally different. If you want to ask a question about quantum mechanics and have it write a poem for you, the OpenAI model is excellent. But it won't help you open your garage door or send a text message. Siri does many useful things for you every day, quickly and locally on your device. There's a range where trade-offs exist between different capabilities. Will these areas converge? Absolutely, that's the direction of future development."

To date, Apple has been relatively cautious in rolling out AI features, having only integrated ChatGPT into Siri last month as part of the iOS 18.2 beta. Additionally, the company has several other features planned for Siri, including enabling Siri to "understand" on-screen content and perform actions within apps, which are set to be launched next year.