Next year might see Apple introducing a new contender in the competitive AI chat model market, possibly challenging ChatGPT and Perplexity.
Apple is gearing up to enter the AI-powered web search market, with plans to release a new tool next year. This innovative search system, which is currently under development, will have the ability to process both text and visual input, setting it apart from existing search engines.
The tech giant has been playing catch-up in the AI race, with competitors like Microsoft and Gemini leading the way. However, Apple is now making significant strides with the development of an AI-powered knowledge engine, internally known as World Knowledge Answers.
Siri, Apple's digital assistant, is set for an upgrade as well. The company is reportedly working on an "AI brain transplant" for Siri, known as LLM Siri, with a planned release date of 2026.
Currently, if a query requires deep research on the internet, Siri offloads the task to ChatGPT, a system that was integrated with Apple Intelligence last year. With the new AI-powered knowledge engine, this functionality may be integrated within Safari and Spotlight, in addition to Siri, offering a more seamless user experience.
The upcoming AI-powered web search tool will operate in a manner similar to ChatGPT, AI Overviews in Google Search, and a crop of new apps. It will also offer a knowledge summarization feature, similar to Google AI Overviews, to provide users with concise and relevant information.
However, the new digital assistants from Microsoft (Copilot) and Gemini have complicated the landscape for Siri. Apple has yet to announce a specific release date for its AI-based search engine, with the latest relevant Apple software release being iOS 26 on September 15, 2025. No mention of an AI search engine launch was found in this release.
Stay tuned for more updates as Apple continues to push the boundaries of AI technology and web search.
