breaking open Siri's reliance on ChatGPT
Apple, long known for its walled-garden philosophy, appears to be reconsidering the boundaries of its digital ecosystem — at least where artificial intelligence is concerned. The company is developing a system called Extensions that would allow competing AI services like Google Gemini and Anthropic's Claude to work directly through Siri, moving beyond its exclusive arrangement with OpenAI's ChatGPT. If it arrives as planned with iOS 27 in late 2026, the change would give users something rare in Apple's world: a genuine choice of which intelligence answers when they speak.
- Apple's current Siri is effectively locked to ChatGPT, leaving users who prefer rival AI services with no path forward inside the assistant itself.
- The proposed Extensions system would let installed apps like Google Gemini or Claude receive voice queries directly through Siri, routing requests to their actual backends rather than an Apple-filtered version.
- Apple has a well-documented pattern of announcing Siri improvements and then delaying or fragmenting their rollout, casting real doubt on whether Extensions will ship on schedule.
- WWDC in June 2026 looms as the likely announcement window, but the October iOS 27 launch date is far from a guarantee for this feature.
- Beyond user choice, the move quietly positions Apple to collect App Store subscription revenue from every AI provider that gains a foothold through the new system.
Apple is developing a new capability called Extensions that would allow third-party AI chatbots — including Google Gemini and Anthropic's Claude — to integrate directly with Siri, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The change would let users designate which AI service handles their voice queries, much like choosing a default browser, rather than being confined to the current exclusive arrangement with ChatGPT that has defined Apple Intelligence since 2024.
In practice, if you have Gemini or Claude installed on your iPhone, you could send prompts to those services through Siri itself, with queries processed by the actual backend of your chosen service. This is separate from a deeper, more structural integration Apple is already pursuing with Google's Gemini models at the platform level.
The feature is currently in testing and is targeted for release alongside iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27. Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, scheduled for June 8–12, would be a natural stage for an announcement — but the company has repeatedly delayed Siri improvements and staggered Apple Intelligence features across multiple software versions, so the October launch window carries no guarantees.
Several AI platforms already exist as standalone App Store apps — among them Amazon Alexa, Meta AI, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity, and xAI's Grok — though whether all would qualify under the Extensions framework remains unclear. Apple would also stand to earn a cut of any subscriptions users establish through the App Store, adding a quiet financial incentive to the openness. For now, the system lives in the space between engineering roadmap and reality — credible, but not yet tangible.
Apple is working on a significant expansion of Siri's capabilities that would break open the assistant's current reliance on ChatGPT and allow it to work with competing AI services like Google Gemini and Claude. According to reporting from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the company is developing what it calls "Extension" tools designed to let any AI chatbot available on the App Store integrate directly with Siri, giving users the ability to route their voice queries to whichever service they prefer.
The shift represents a notable departure from Apple's current setup. Since 2024, when the company first began building out what it calls Apple Intelligence, Siri has been tethered to an exclusive partnership with OpenAI that gives ChatGPT pride of place as the default AI assistant. Users can request ChatGPT specifically, but they cannot easily swap it out for alternatives without leaving the Siri interface entirely. The new Extensions system would change that calculus by allowing users to designate which AI service handles their requests—much like choosing a default browser or email app.
The mechanics are straightforward in theory. If you have Google Gemini or Anthropic's Claude installed on your iPhone, you would be able to send prompts to those services through Siri itself, rather than opening separate apps. The Extensions would process queries using the actual backend of whichever service you've selected, not some Apple-mediated version of it. This is distinct from a separate, deeper integration Apple is already pursuing with Google's Gemini models, which would embed Gemini's capabilities more directly into Apple's own AI features.
The timing and scope remain uncertain. Gurman reports that the Extensions system is currently in testing and is intended to ship with iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27. Apple has scheduled its annual Worldwide Developers Conference for June 8 through 12 this summer, which would be a natural venue to announce the feature if it's ready. However, Apple has a documented history of delaying Siri improvements and staggering the rollout of Apple Intelligence features across multiple iOS versions, so there's no guarantee the Extensions would arrive in October when iOS 27 launches, or even within the first few months afterward.
Several AI platforms are already available as standalone apps in the App Store—Amazon's Alexa, Meta AI, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity, and xAI's Grok among them—though it remains unclear whether all of them would qualify for the Extensions system or whether Apple would require some form of approval. The move also opens a potential revenue stream for Apple, which would take a cut of any subscriptions users set up through the App Store for these third-party services.
The broader context matters here. Apple has been promising a revamped, AI-powered Siri since at least 2024, and those promises have already slipped into 2026. The Extensions system represents one piece of a larger overhaul that the company has struggled to deliver. Whether this particular feature actually materializes as described, and when, remains to be seen. For now, it exists in the realm of corporate planning and engineering roadmaps—real enough to report on, but not yet real enough to use.
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So Apple is basically admitting that Siri needs help from other AI companies to be useful?
Not quite. It's more that Apple is recognizing users already have preferences—some people trust Claude, others prefer Gemini. Rather than force everyone through ChatGPT, Apple is saying: use what you want, and we'll make it work with Siri.
But doesn't that undermine Apple's own AI ambitions? Why would they do that?
Two reasons. First, it's pragmatic—Siri has been a weak point for years, and opening it up makes the assistant more valuable to users immediately. Second, there's money in it. Apple takes a cut of App Store subscriptions, so they benefit when users pay for premium tiers of Claude or Gemini.
Is this actually happening, or is it just a plan?
It's in testing right now, according to the reporting. But Apple has a track record of announcing AI features and then delaying them. So we should be skeptical about the timeline.
When would we actually see this?
Theoretically with iOS 27 in October, but Apple has staggered Apple Intelligence features across multiple releases. It could be months after launch, or it could slip to 2027. The company is holding its developer conference in June, which would be the natural moment to announce it.
What's the catch for users?
You'd still need to specify which AI you want to use for each query, similar to how you request ChatGPT now. It's not seamless—it's just more choice.