Apple is preparing to open up CarPlay to third-party artificial intelligence apps, according to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The move will allow drivers to use voice-controlled chatbots like ChatGPT or Google Gemini behind the wheel for the first time.
According to unnamed people familiar with the matter, the tech giant is working to integrate support for these external AI services within the coming months. As Gurman notes, the update marks a significant shift for Apple, which has traditionally kept its vehicle interface restricted to a small group of app categories like navigation, messaging, and music.
The new functionality will allow users to query AI assistants directly through the CarPlay interface using voice commands. While Siri has been the sole voice assistant available in the car since CarPlay launched, this change acknowledges the growing demand for more advanced “answer engines” and conversational AI while on the road.
In supported Tesla vehicles, xAI’s chatbot Grok is available to answer questions, but also find and set up navigation for drivers. For example, you can say something like, “take me to Starbucks and then to Pet Smart,” and Grok will set up the navigation. You can see this in action below from Ontario YouTube channel Northern Tesla:
The timing of the CarPlay update aligns with Apple’s wider pivot toward generative AI. The company is currently overhauling Siri with a new foundation model based on a partnership with Google’s Gemini.
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