Tech giant Apple is planning to unveil an AI-enhanced web search tool in 2026, intensifying its rivalry with OpenAI and Perplexity AI, reports Bloomberg.
The initiative, internally referred to as World Knowledge Answers, aims to integrate this new system into the Siri voice assistant.
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Sources familiar with the matter told the publication that Apple is also contemplating the eventual incorporation of this technology into its Safari web browser and Spotlight search feature on iPhones.
The anticipated launch of this service, described by some executives as an “answer engine,” is targeted for spring, coinciding with a long-awaited revamp of Siri.
The goal is to transform Siri and Apple’s operating systems into platforms where users can access information from the internet, akin to offerings from ChatGPT, Google Search’s AI Overviews, and various emerging applications.
This new approach will leverage large language models (LLMs), which are fundamental to generative AI technologies.
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By GlobalDataThe foundational technology for the revamped Siri may partially derive from Alphabet’s Google.
Recently, the two companies formalised an agreement allowing Apple to assess and test a Google-developed AI model to enhance the voice assistant.
The new search experience is expected to feature an interface that utilises text, images, videos, and local points of interest.
It will also include an AI-driven summarisation system aimed at delivering results that are both quicker to digest and more accurate than those currently provided by Siri.
Representatives from both Apple, based in Cupertino, California, and Google, located in Mountain View, California, declined to comment on the developments, Bloomberg’s report said.
This announcement comes shortly after a US judge ruled that Apple could maintain its arrangement with Google, which designates the latter as the default search engine on its devices, albeit with minor adjustments.
This agreement has generated approximately $20bn annually for Apple.
As part of the anticipated Siri overhaul, the digital assistant will gain the ability to access personal data and on-screen content to enhance query responses. It will also improve its navigation capabilities through voice commands.
The technology overhaul for Siri, known internally as Linwood and LLM Siri, is laying the groundwork for the new AI search feature.
Craig Federighi, Apple’s head of software engineering is overseeing the Siri strategy.
