Apple Tests External AI Models Instead of Its Own Technologies

According to Bloomberg News reports, Apple is considering using artificial intelligence technology from Anthropic or OpenAI to power a new version of its Siri voice assistant. This move would mark a major shift in the company's strategy, as it has traditionally relied on its own in-house models. Shares of the iPhone maker rose 2% on Monday following the report.

According to sources familiar with the talks, Apple has held discussions with both companies about using their large language models (LLMs) for Siri. Apple asked the companies to train versions of their models that could run on Apple's cloud infrastructure for testing purposes.

Decision Still at an Early Stage

Apple's exploration of third-party models is still at an early stage, and the company has not yet made a final decision on whether to use them. Amazon-backed Anthropic declined to comment, while Apple and OpenAI did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

Siri Enhancements Delayed Until 2026

In March, Apple announced that artificial intelligence enhancements for its Siri voice assistant would be delayed until 2026, without giving a reason for the delay. This suggests that the company is facing significant challenges in developing its own AI capabilities.

Major Leadership Changes in the AI Division

Apple has made significant leadership changes in its AI division as part of an effort to get its AI initiatives back on track after months of delays. According to Bloomberg reports in March, Mike Rockwell took responsibility for Siri after CEO Tim Cook lost confidence in AI chief John Giannandrea's ability to execute product development.

Mike Rockwell, who previously led the Vision Pro project, now reports directly to Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering. This change represents a significant shift in how the Siri and AI teams are structured within the company.

Conservative Approach at the Developers Conference

At its annual Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this month, Apple focused more on incremental improvements that enhance everyday life—including live translation for phone calls—rather than the sweeping AI ambitions pursued by Apple's competitors.

Apple software chief Craig Federighi said at the time that the company was opening the foundational AI model used by the iPhone maker for some of its own features to third-party developers. The company will offer both its own tools and OpenAI's code completion tools in Apple's key developer software.