Apple is quietly building a competitor to ChatGPT as it looks to reinvent search experiences for users ahead of its next big smartphone launch. According to a report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the tech giant has formed a new team internally called “Answers, Knowledge, and Information”, or AKI, with the goal of developing a stripped-down AI chatbot focused on helping users access global knowledge. The AKI team is being led by Robby Walker, a former Siri executive, and reports to Apple’s AI chief John Giannandrea. While Apple had previously integrated OpenAI’s ChatGPT into Siri through a partnership, this new move signals a shift towards building a native alternative in-house.
Interestingly, this pivot comes despite earlier comments from Apple’s senior executives, who had downplayed the need for a chatbot-style AI. But the company now appears determined to expand its AI strategy beyond its current Apple Intelligence platform, which mainly offers tools like Genmoji, Notification Summaries, and writing suggestions. So far, Apple Intelligence has been seen as underwhelming by many users, especially since the major Siri upgrade has been delayed by more than a year.
According to the report, the AKI team’s main objective is to build a new kind of search experience that mirrors what users currently expect from chatbots like ChatGPT or Perplexity AI. Apple had earlier explored partnerships with such startups, particularly those focused on AI-driven search.
Bloomberg’s report also mentioned that Apple is testing its upcoming iPhone 17 Pro in real-world conditions. The device was spotted in San Francisco, camouflaged in a case designed to disguise its design. This suggests Apple is on track with its hardware development and gearing up for a major product cycle.
At the same time, Apple is reportedly facing some challenges on the AI talent front. The company has lost its fourth AI researcher in a month to Meta, raising questions about internal morale and retention within its foundation models team – the group responsible for Apple’s large language models and generative AI systems.
The sudden push to develop a home-grown ChatGPT alternative and the formation of the AKI team signal Apple’s renewed focus on artificial intelligence. If successful, this could not only fix some of the current gaps in Apple Intelligence, but also help the company redefine how search works on iPhones going forward.
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