Siri's Brain Transplant? Apple Eyes Anthropic or OpenAI for a Smarter Assistant

Is Apple finally ready to supercharge Siri? A recent Bloomberg report suggests the tech giant is considering a monumental shift, potentially integrating advanced AI models from Anthropic or OpenAI to power a revamped version of its voice assistant. This move would mark a significant departure from Apple's traditional reliance on its own in-house AI, hinting at a new era for Siri.

The news sent a ripple of excitement through the market, with Apple's shares closing 2% higher on Monday after an earlier dip. It appears investors are optimistic about the prospect of a more capable Siri.

Sources familiar with the discussions indicate that Apple has been in talks with both Anthropic and OpenAI. The iPhone maker is reportedly exploring the possibility of having these leading AI firms train specialized versions of their large language models (LLMs) that could run seamlessly on Apple's cloud infrastructure for testing.

While these discussions are still in their early stages and no final decisions have been made, the mere consideration of external AI powerhouses signals a potential strategic pivot for Apple. When approached for comment, Amazon-backed Anthropic declined, while Apple and OpenAI remained silent.

This development comes after Apple acknowledged in March that significant AI improvements to Siri would be delayed until 2026, without elaborating on the reasons. It was also reported in March that CEO Tim Cook had shaken up the executive ranks to invigorate Apple's AI initiatives, with Mike Rockwell taking the helm of Siri development, amidst concerns over AI head John Giannandrea's progress.

Interestingly, Apple's recent Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) focused more on practical, everyday AI enhancements, such as live translations for phone calls, rather than the ambitious, broad-sweeping AI visions championed by its competitors. However, Apple software chief Craig Federighi did mention at WWDC that the company is opening up its foundational AI model to third-party developers and would offer both its own and OpenAI's code completion tools within its developer software.

Could this mean a hybrid approach for Siri, combining Apple's core strengths with the cutting-edge capabilities of external AI? Only time will tell, but one thing is clear: Apple is serious about giving Siri a much-needed intelligence boost.