Apple is reportedly exploring a major shift in its AI strategy, with discussions underway to potentially power Siri using technology from OpenAI or Anthropic, according to a new report from Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman. If the move goes forward, it would represent a significant reversal of Apple’s long-standing approach of relying on in-house AI models.
Citing people familiar with the matter, the report claims Apple has asked both companies to train versions of their large language models — ChatGPT and Claude — on Apple’s cloud infrastructure. That system is based on the same Apple-designed chips found in its devices, and Apple believes keeping the models on its own servers would help preserve user privacy.
Apple has so far leaned on its Apple Foundation Models to power AI features. The tech giant planned to use the same for a more advanced version of its Siri voice assistant, which was originally slated for a late 2024 launch but has since been delayed to 2026. However, Apple has struggled to match the capabilities of competitors in the generative AI space, especially with Siri.
Internally, Apple is said to be actively testing whether Claude or ChatGPT can outperform its own models in handling Siri requests. Siri chief Mike Rockwell and Apple’s software engineering lead Craig Federighi, who took over the assistant’s development earlier this year, are leading the testing. One of Apple’s in-house efforts, dubbed “LLM Siri,” remains in development — but execs are reportedly “increasingly open” to integrating third-party tech.
According to Bloomberg, Apple has found Anthropic’s Claude to be the most promising so far, but financial terms remain a sticking point. Anthropic is said to be asking for a “multibillion-dollar annual fee that increases sharply each year.” That’s left Apple still weighing its options, including potentially sticking with OpenAI or pursuing other partners.
This development follows Apple’s current limited use of ChatGPT, which helps power certain Siri queries and AI features like Writing Tools. With iOS 26 later this year, Apple also plans to add ChatGPT-based image generation and on-screen image analysis, further expanding OpenAI’s presence within the iOS ecosystem.
Whether Apple fully hands over Siri’s future to an external AI provider remains to be seen — but one thing is clear: Cupertino is no longer ruling it out. The company has also internally discussed a bid for AI startup Perplexity, per recent reports.
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