Apple Quietly Builds ChatGPT Rival with 'Answer Engine' for iPhone Users
While tech rivals like OpenAI and Google have surged ahead in the generative AI space, Apple has taken a slower, more calculated approach. Until now, the company had avoided launching a standalone chatbot, instead opting for a partnership with OpenAI to embed ChatGPT into Siri. But this latest development marks a significant pivot. With AKI, Apple is no longer sitting on the sidelines—it's preparing to redefine how users interact with AI on its devices.
The AKI team is led by senior director Robby Walker and reports directly to Apple's AI chief, John Giannandrea. It is exploring not only a potential new app but also the backend infrastructure that would supercharge existing Apple services like Siri, Spotlight, and Safari. To support this transformation, Apple has ramped up hiring of engineers experienced in search technologies—suggesting ambitions far beyond simple AI enhancements.
CEO Tim Cook's commitment to AI is now front and center. In a rare all-hands meeting last week, he told Apple employees, 'We must do this,' highlighting the scale of the AI revolution. Cook likened the current AI wave to historical tech shifts like the birth of the internet, smartphones, and cloud computing. 'There was a PC before the Mac. There was a smartphone before the iPhone. This is how I feel about AI,' he said, signaling Apple's intent to disrupt yet another market.
Initially, Apple considered a hybrid architecture that combined Siri's existing functionality with large language models (LLMs), but this approach didn't meet internal expectations. Apple's software head Craig Federighi acknowledged that it 'wasn't going to get us to Apple quality.' As a result, the company is now rebuilding Siri from the ground up. The overhaul is being led by Mike Rockwell—the engineering mind behind the Vision Pro headset—with a revamped Siri reportedly planned for release in spring 2026.
Apple also faces mounting pressure on multiple fronts. The company's $20 billion agreement with Google to make it the default search engine on iPhones is under antitrust scrutiny. Moreover, Apple Intelligence—its new suite of AI tools—still lacks the conversational capabilities seen in platforms like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini.
Developing an in-house answer engine offers Apple not only technical control but also strategic independence. Whether it debuts as a standalone tool or quietly integrates into Siri and Safari, this initiative reflects Apple's decision to stop relying on external players for AI innovation.
With the formation of the AKI team and a fresh AI-first mindset, Apple seems ready to define the next chapter in consumer AI—on its own terms.
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