Apple Will Open Siri to Rival AI Chatbots in iOS 27, Ending OpenAI's Exclusive Integration
A new Extensions system in iOS 27 will let users route Siri queries to Claude, Gemini, and other third-party AI services, replacing the current ChatGPT-only arrangement.
Overview
Apple is preparing to open Siri to competing AI chatbot services through a new Extensions system arriving in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27, according to Bloomberg. The move will end OpenAI’s exclusive integration with Siri and allow users to route queries to services such as Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini alongside ChatGPT.
Apple plans to unveil the feature at its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 8, as reported by Bloomberg.
What We Know
The Extensions system will add a new option within the Apple Intelligence and Siri section of the Settings app, according to 9to5Mac. Test versions of the upcoming operating system describe Extensions as allowing “agents from installed apps to work with Siri, the Siri app and other features on your devices,” as 9to5Mac reported.
Users who have a compatible chatbot app installed will be able to select it as their preferred service. When Siri cannot handle a query, it will offer to redirect the request to the user’s chosen chatbot, mirroring how the current ChatGPT integration works, according to Bloomberg. A dedicated App Store section will showcase compatible AI applications, and developers will need to update their apps to support the new capability, as reported by 9to5Mac.
The architecture is designed so that any AI provider can participate without Apple needing to strike individual partnership deals, according to Tom’s Guide.
Separately, Apple is also developing a standalone Siri app and a new “Ask Siri” button as part of a broader AI reboot, according to Bloomberg. The revamped Siri will offer a chatbot-like experience capable of searching the web with visually rich results, providing summaries, and evaluating uploaded documents.
Apple’s separate arrangement with Google to use Gemini models for powering Apple Intelligence features and certain Siri capabilities remains unaffected by the Extensions system, as 9to5Mac noted. That partnership focuses on rebuilding Siri’s underlying technology, while Extensions are aimed at user-facing chatbot access.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has also reported that expanding Siri integration to third-party chatbots will allow Apple to generate additional revenue from AI subscriptions made through the App Store, according to Bloomberg.
What We Don’t Know
Several questions remain unanswered ahead of WWDC. It is unclear whether Apple will impose approval requirements on AI apps seeking to integrate through Extensions, or whether any chatbot that meets basic technical standards will qualify. The privacy and data-handling terms for third-party chatbot queries routed through Siri have not been disclosed.
Whether Elon Musk’s Grok or other emerging AI services will participate at launch is also unconfirmed. Musk has previously raised legal complaints about OpenAI’s exclusive access to Siri, and the open Extensions framework could address those objections, but no formal announcement has been made.
The timeline for the public release of iOS 27 after its expected WWDC unveiling has not been specified, and Apple has a history of delaying AI features that are not ready for production.
Analysis
The shift from an exclusive ChatGPT arrangement to an open Extensions system represents a strategic pivot for Apple. Rather than betting on a single AI partner, Apple is positioning the iPhone as a platform-neutral gateway to the AI ecosystem. This approach mirrors Apple’s long-standing strategy with its App Store: the company takes a cut of subscriptions while letting third parties compete for users.
For AI providers, deep integration with Siri across more than two billion active Apple devices could prove a powerful distribution channel. For Apple, the move hedges against the risk of being locked into any one AI provider’s trajectory while generating a new revenue stream from AI subscriptions.
Apple previously signaled its intent to overhaul its AI developer platform with the Core AI framework replacement for Core ML, and the Siri Extensions system fits into that broader push to make Apple’s software stack more AI-native.