NextFin news, Apple Inc. revealed on Thursday, September 4, 2025, in Cupertino, California, that it is building an artificial intelligence-powered web search tool designed to significantly upgrade its Siri virtual assistant. The new system, internally named World Knowledge Answers, is scheduled for launch in 2026 and aims to transform Siri into a comprehensive information platform.
The AI search tool will leverage large language models and incorporate Google's advanced Gemini AI technology, marking a strategic collaboration between Apple and Google. This partnership is part of Apple's effort to enhance Siri's search capabilities and provide more accurate, contextually relevant answers to users' queries.
Beyond Siri, Apple plans to integrate this AI-powered search functionality into its Safari web browser and the Spotlight search feature on iPhones, broadening the tool's reach within its ecosystem. The upgrade will feature a rich interface supporting text, images, videos, and local points of interest, along with AI-driven summarization to deliver concise and comprehensive responses.
The development comes amid criticism of Apple for lagging behind competitors in the AI race. The company has faced internal challenges, including attrition within its AI team, with key talent moving to rivals such as Meta and OpenAI. Despite these hurdles, Apple is committed to revitalizing Siri and maintaining its competitive edge in an AI-driven technology landscape.
Apple's software engineering chief, Craig Federighi, indicated in August that the new AI architecture for Siri has begun delivering promising results, enabling a more substantial upgrade than initially planned. The revamped Siri will operate through three core systems: a planner to interpret user inputs, a search system querying both the web and the user's device, and a summarizer to generate final answers.
Apple is evaluating whether to rely solely on its proprietary AI models or to continue collaborating with external partners like Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic. Currently, the company has formalized an agreement with Google to test and potentially integrate the Gemini AI model into Siri's functionalities.
This AI-powered search tool is expected to debut alongside the Siri overhaul in 2026, following delays from an originally planned earlier release. The upgrade aims to meet evolving consumer expectations for quick, reliable, and conversational AI responses, positioning Apple to compete with established AI answer engines such as ChatGPT and Google's AI search offerings.
Apple's move to embed AI search capabilities deeply into its products reflects a strategic response to the growing importance of AI in information retrieval and user interaction. The company anticipates that this integration will reshape how billions of search queries are processed on iPhones, potentially altering the digital search landscape.
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