Apple has formed a new internal team called “Answers, Knowledge and Information” (AKI) that is developing a stripped-down ChatGPT-like AI experience. This team is building an “answer engine” designed to crawl the web and respond to general-knowledge questions, effectively creating a lightweight competitor to ChatGPT. The goal is to integrate this AI-powered search capability into Apple’s products such as Siri, Spotlight, and Safari, and also potentially as a standalone app.
This marks a shift from Apple’s previous approach, where Siri relied on third-party AI like ChatGPT via partnerships, resulting in a somewhat fragmented user experience. The new Apple-built system aims to deliver more direct, accurate answers rather than defaulting frequently to Google Search results, improving usability especially on devices without screens like HomePod. The team, led by senior director Robby Walker, is actively hiring engineers experienced in search algorithms and engine development to accelerate this project.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has emphasized the importance of AI, considering it a major technological revolution comparable to the internet and smartphones, and is backing the investment in this AI initiative accordingly. While the project is still in early stages, it represents Apple’s growing commitment to developing its own conversational AI and search capabilities rather than relying heavily on external partnerships.
Apple’s “Answers” team is creating a streamlined ChatGPT rival focused on delivering web-based, AI-driven answers within Apple’s ecosystem, intending to enhance Siri and other services with conversational AI search.
Leave a Reply