Apple is reportedly preparing its most dramatic overhaul of Siri to date, with plans to turn the voice assistant into a full-fledged AI chatbot as early as this coming fall.
According to reporting from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is working on a revamped version of Siri for iOS 27 and MacOS 27 that would allow the assistant to engage in more conversational, open-ended interactions -- similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT. While speculation around a more capable, chat-style Siri has circulated for a while now, Gurman's reporting adds new weight to the idea that Apple is finally ready to make the leap.
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The changes would mark a major shift for Apple, which has been criticized for lagging behind competitors in generative AI capabilities. Unlike today's Siri -- which focuses on commands, quick answers and system controls -- the new version is rumored to behave more like a true chatbot that's capable of sustained conversations, complex queries and deeper contextual understanding.
Last week, Apple revealed that it plans to use Google's Gemini AI models to help power Siri, a move that signaled a more pragmatic approach to competing in the fast-moving AI landscape. By leaning on Gemini's prowess while reshaping Siri's interface and behavior, Apple appears to be positioning itself to better compete with ChatGPT and other AI-first assistants without fully building everything from scratch.
For now, Apple hasn't confirmed the latest on its chatbot plans. Still, if the report proves accurate, it would represent Apple's most aggressive push yet into generative AI and a tacit admission that incremental Siri updates are no longer enough in an era defined by conversational AI.
(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET's parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.) Â