Apple’s Secret Weapon: Veritas Chatbot App Testing Major Siri Overhaul

Apple's building something big behind closed doors—and it could change how we talk to our phones forever.

The Veritas Initiative

Internal teams are stress-testing a new chatbot framework that promises to revolutionize Siri's capabilities. This isn't just another incremental update—we're talking fundamental architecture changes that could finally close the gap with competitors.

Silicon Valley's AI Arms Race

While tech giants pour billions into AI research, Apple's taking the quiet approach. No flashy announcements, no investor day presentations—just methodical internal testing. Because why hype something when you can just build it better?

The Siri Revolution

Imagine asking Siri to compose a symphony or debug your code. The Veritas tests suggest we're moving beyond simple commands toward genuine AI companionship. Active development teams are pushing boundaries that seemed impossible just last year.

Wall Street's Missing the Point

While analysts obsess over quarterly iPhone sales, the real value play's happening in Apple's R&D labs. But sure, keep focusing on hardware margins—it's not like AI will reshape entire industries or anything.

The bottom line? When Apple moves quietly, markets should listen carefully. This could be the biggest Siri upgrade since its inception—and potentially the most undervalued AI play in tech right now.

Apple tests new large language model with Veritas

Veritas is running on a new backend system called Linwood, which uses a large language model trained by Apple’s Foundation Models team along with tech from an unnamed third party.

It works like popular chatbots; users can have multiple conversations, go back to earlier chats, ask follow-up questions, and interact with the system in longer exchanges. It’s all designed to test how well Siri can handle real human input.

The updated Siri was originally supposed to launch in spring 2024, but Apple had to delay the rollout after internal tests showed the features failed about one-third of the time. That failure triggered a leadership shakeup.

Apple’s AI chief, John Giannandrea, and several key deputies were sidelined, and Robby Walker, the executive who previously led the Siri team, is leaving the company in October. After losing control of Siri, Robby started a new internal team called AKI, short for Answers, Knowledge, and Information.

That group is now building new AI-based search features for Siri. Apple has already started building more features on top of Siri. The new version will be able to recognize what’s showing on a user’s screen and act on it; something the current Siri can’t do.

It’ll also allow users to MOVE around their devices using just voice commands. Veritas helps test all that. It also includes tools that let engineers gather information from the internet and see AI-generated summaries.

Apple explores deals with AI firms while redesigning Siri

Apple isn’t doing this alone. It’s been shopping around for external help. Earlier this year, it held talks with OpenAI about using its models in Siri. Then came discussions with Anthropic, the makers of Claude. Now, Apple is deep in talks with Google about integrating a custom version of Gemini into Siri’s infrastructure. No deal has been finalized, but Apple is keeping its options open.

While all this testing is going on, Apple is also preparing a visual redesign for Siri. That new interface is expected before the end of 2025. The company is working on more AI features for HomePod, Apple TV, and even smart home devices that haven’t been announced yet. All of this is part of Apple’s broader strategy to stay in the AI race.

Despite all the internal activity, Apple isn’t planning to release Veritas to customers. That’s consistent with what Apple executives have said publicly. In June, Apple software chief Craig Federighi told Tom’s Guide that chatbots like Veritas are powerful, but “remain not our primary goal.” When asked about releasing something like ChatGPT, Craig said, “Time will tell where we go there.”

Siri’s delayed launch and the failed spring rollout forced Apple to rethink its entire AI strategy. The company knows it’s behind. When it launched the iPhone 17 this month, it didn’t even mention its in-house AI system. But Apple isn’t dropping the fight.

The Veritas app is being used to pressure-test every feature ahead of the 2025 release. Whether or not Siri catches up to its competitors, Apple is betting it still has time to fix its voice assistant before AI becomes the deciding factor in smartphone sales.

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