Apple is preparing to introduce a powerful new AI-driven web search tool integrated within its Siri voice assistant, positioning itself to compete directly with AI platforms such as OpenAI and Perplexity. Internally named World Knowledge Answers, this AI-enhanced search feature is expected to launch in early 2026 as part of a major Siri overhaul, Bloomberg reports.
The ambitious upgrade aims to transform Siri from a basic voice assistant into a comprehensive “answer engine,” capable of retrieving and synthesizing information from across the internet with multimodal responses that blend text, images, videos, and local results seamlessly. This represents a shift from Siri’s current fact-based snippets toward more nuanced, conversational summaries similar to Google’s AI Overviews and AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT.
According to multiple sources, Apple plans to first roll out this AI search capability strictly within Siri but may subsequently extend it to other core iOS features such as the Safari web browser and Spotlight search, which allows users to perform searches from the iPhone home screen. The company even considered developing a standalone chatbot app, though that possibility remains uncertain.
Behind the technical curtain, Apple’s new AI feature will rely in part on Google’s Gemini AI model, a significant collaboration given the longstanding partnership between the two companies in internet search. Apple recently reached a formal agreement to evaluate and test Google’s AI model as the foundation for the enhanced Siri experience. This multi-partner strategy is believed to help Apple overcome early problems with its own first-generation Siri architecture, which required rebuilding the assistant from the ground up using a second-generation architecture based on large language models (LLMs).
Apple’s software engineering chief Craig Federighi has acknowledged that the revamped Siri architecture is now delivering promising results, enabling a “much bigger upgrade than originally envisioned.” Among the planned enhancements is a new conversational planner and summarizer feature that will make search answers more accurate and contextually relevant. Additionally, a visual redesign of Siri is expected in late 2026, including a built-in health feature that will support a future wellness subscription service.
This AI search tool not only marks Apple’s deeper push into generative AI but also signals a strategic pivot to reshape how billions of Siri queries may be handled. The metered visibility for brands, businesses, and content creators could shift significantly as Siri’s AI engine determines how information is surfaced and summarized, independent of traditional search rankings on Google.
While Apple historically avoided direct involvement in search technologies, the rise of AI chatbots influencing online information discovery appears to have accelerated its entry into this domain. Should the company successfully integrate AI search into Safari, it could better compete with tech giants such as Google, which launched its Gemini-powered Bard chatbot, and Microsoft with its AI Copilot features.
Apple’s AI search initiative arrives amid criticisms that the company lagged behind other technology leaders in AI development. The initial announcement of Apple Intelligence during WWDC 2024 failed to impress, but with the Siri relaunch slated for spring 2026, Apple clearly intends to catch up and set new standards for voice-activated AI search.
In summary, Apple’s World Knowledge Answers will harness large language models and multimodal inputs to deliver fast, conversational, and rich responses to user queries, built into Siri and potentially extended across iOS platforms. The collaboration with Google’s Gemini AI underscores a pragmatic approach to accelerate Apple’s AI capabilities, signaling the company’s serious commitment to competing with established AI search leaders like OpenAI and Perplexity.