Siri's Big Upgrade: Apple Explores AI Partnerships

Siri, Apple's voice assistant, has long been criticized for lagging behind competitors like Google Assistant and Alexa. Users have been asking for smarter features, such as better contextual understanding and natural language processing. Apple's recent efforts, like Apple Intelligence, promised improvements but fell short of expectations. To catch up, Apple is now in talks with AI powerhouses OpenAI and Anthropic. The goal? To integrate their advanced large language models (LLMs) into Siri. This move could help Siri handle complex, open-ended questions and multi-step conversations more effectively. Apple is currently testing both OpenAI and Anthropic's models on its Private Cloud Compute servers. Preliminary results suggest that Anthropic's models might be the best fit for Siri. However, financial negotiations are ongoing, and Anthropic's demands are reportedly high, potentially reaching billions of dollars. If the deal with Anthropic falls through, Apple might consider other options. The company has been developing its own LLM but has faced delays. Initially, Apple planned to introduce advanced Siri features powered by Apple Intelligence in 2026, but backlash led to a change in plans. Now, these features are expected to arrive with iOS 26. A partnership with OpenAI or Anthropic could help Apple deliver on its AI promises while continuing to develop its own technology. This move is crucial for Apple to stay competitive in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.