Apple Eyes OpenAI & Anthropic for Groundbreaking AI-Powered Siri Overhaul

Apple's playing the AI arms race—and Siri's getting a firepower upgrade. The tech giant is reportedly in talks with OpenAI and Anthropic to turbocharge its languishing voice assistant. Because nothing says 'innovation' like outsourcing your AI revolution.

Here's the deal: Apple's playing catch-up in the AI game. While rivals baked LLMs into everything from search to smart fridges, Siri's been stuck answering 'Here's what I found on the web...' like it's 2015. Now they're shopping for AI muscle—just as regulators start circling Big Tech's data appetites.

The finance angle? Watch those enterprise valuations balloon. Another 'strategic partnership' means another excuse for VCs to pour champagne over nonsensical valuation bumps. Meanwhile, your iPhone will finally understand 'Play that Shakira song'—assuming you've got $1,200 for the new Ultra Pro Max model.

TLDRs:

• Apple is testing OpenAI and Anthropic models to revive its stalled Siri upgrade.
• Internal delays and leadership changes have slowed the rollout of “LLM Siri.”
• Early tests favor Anthropic’s Claude as the most effective external model.
• Apple may pursue a hybrid strategy combining in-house and third-party AI solutions.

Apple is reportedly in talks with leading AI firms OpenAI and Anthropic as it seeks to strengthen Siri’s long-awaited upgrade.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the iPhone Maker has invited both companies to train large language models (LLMs) that can run on Apple’s proprietary cloud infrastructure, signaling a shift from its earlier strategy of relying solely on in-house AI capabilities.

The push to overhaul Siri follows internal setbacks that delayed the rollout of a more advanced version of the voice assistant earlier this year. After the project missed its March deadline, Apple quietly reassigned responsibility to Mike Rockwell, the former head of Vision Pro, replacing longtime AI chief John Giannandrea. CEO Tim Cook reportedly made the change after losing confidence in Giannandrea’s leadership on AI.

Anthropic’s Claude Emerges as a Strong Contender

While Apple has tested multiple third-party models including OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, early internal evaluations suggest Anthropic’s Claude has shown the most promise in handling basic queries. The company is still in the early phases of evaluating these models, and no final decision has been made on whether Siri’s future will indeed rely on external technology.

Though Google’s Gemini has already been embedded in Android and Pixel devices, and Samsung licenses Google’s AI for its Galaxy lineup, Apple has taken a more guarded approach. Reports also indicate the Cupertino tech giant briefly considered acquiring Perplexity AI, another rising player in the LLM space with links to Motorola, as part of its broader AI strategy.

WWDC Snub Raises Questions About Siri’s Readiness

Siri’s absence at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference did not go unnoticed. Apple’s keynote largely focused on incremental AI features like real-time call translations, rather than showcasing sweeping changes to its digital assistant. Senior Vice President Greg Joswiak reportedly acknowledged that the new LLM-powered Siri failed to meet Apple’s internal standards, hinting at the seriousness of the underlying issues.

Internally dubbed “LLM Siri,” the assistant’s updated version was expected to launch earlier in 2025. But delays, technical hurdles, and shifting executive priorities have left Apple playing catch-up in a market where rivals like Google and Microsoft are racing ahead with generative AI integrations across their ecosystems.

A Broader Strategy Taking Shape

Despite the hurdles, Apple’s leadership appears determined to align the company more aggressively with the AI frontier. Software chief Craig Federighi has revealed plans to open up Apple’s foundational AI models to developers, and to incorporate third-party tools like OpenAI’s code completion into its development suite.

These moves suggest that Apple may be leaning toward a hybrid strategy, developing some models in-house while supplementing them with best-in-class external AI. That approach WOULD mark a departure from Apple’s traditionally closed ecosystem but could help the company close the widening gap between Siri and its more capable competitors.

That said, if the experiment with external partners succeeds, Siri could finally receive the intelligence upgrade Apple has long promised but struggled to deliver.