On September 3, 2025, Apple announced plans to launch an AI-powered web search tool in 2026, internally dubbed “World Knowledge Answers,” intensifying competition with OpenAI and Perplexity AI. The tool will be integrated into Siri, with potential expansion to Safari and iPhone’s Spotlight search, marking Apple’s boldest move into AI-driven search. A key element of this initiative is a formal agreement with Google, signed this week, allowing Apple to test Google’s Gemini AI model to power parts of the revamped Siri. This partnership, reported by Bloomberg, leverages Google’s expertise in generative AI while Apple maintains control over user data through its Private Cloud Compute servers.
The new search system aims to transform Siri into an “answer engine,” offering text, photo, video, and local point-of-interest results with AI-powered summarization for faster, more accurate responses. Unlike the current Siri, which handles basic queries, this overhaul—codenamed Linwood and LLM Siri—will tap web and personal data for contextual answers and improved device navigation. Apple is also exploring Anthropic’s Claude and its own Apple Foundation Models for specific functions, ensuring privacy for user data searches. The initiative follows a May 2025 disclosure by Apple’s Eddy Cue, who noted a dip in Safari searches due to growing AI tool usage, hinting at partnerships with AI providers like OpenAI and Perplexity.
This move comes amid a shifting relationship with Google. Apple’s $20 billion annual deal to make Google the default Safari search engine faced scrutiny in a U.S. Justice Department antitrust lawsuit, but a September 2 ruling preserved the agreement, easing Apple’s urgency to develop a fully in-house solution. X posts reflect mixed sentiment: some users, like @amitisinvesting, see the Google partnership as a bullish sign for both companies, while others, like @ns123abc, speculate it signals Apple’s lag in AI development. Critics argue Apple’s reliance on external models could compromise its privacy-first ethos, though its on-device processing aims to mitigate this.
The search tool’s launch, expected with iOS 26.4 in spring 2026, aligns with a broader Siri redesign, including a visual overhaul and plans for a health AI agent in 2026. Apple’s stock rose 3.8% to $238.47 on the news, marking its biggest single-day gain in a month. As Apple races to catch up in AI, this Google partnership underscores a pragmatic approach to bolster its ecosystem, but questions remain about balancing innovation with privacy and reducing dependency on external tech.
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