Apple is considering Anthropic or OpenAI to power Siri’s AI future in major shift

Apple is about to break one of its golden rules: building everything itself. According to a new Bloomberg report, Apple is now seriously considering offloading some of Siri’s brainpower to external partners like Anthropic or OpenAI.

It’s a bold shift for a company known for its tight grip on both hardware and software. If it happens, it could mark a new chapter in Apple’s AI strategy — one where Siri finally catches up with the smarter assistants users have been comparing it to for years.

“Apple Inc. is considering using artificial intelligence technology from Anthropic PBC or OpenAI to power a new version of Siri, sidelining its own in-house models in a potentially blockbuster move aimed at turning around its flailing AI effort,” Bloomberg reported on Monday.

The report comes six months after Apple rolled out a ChatGPT-powered version of Siri in its iOS 18.2 update, a key moment in its push to boost excitement around the iPhone 16. Branded as Apple Intelligence, the company’s suite of AI features was first introduced in June alongside the ChatGPT integration.

Siri’s Next Brain? Apple Weighs Claude and ChatGPT to Fix Lagging AI Performance

Per Bloomberg, Apple is weighing a major shake-up to its AI strategy by exploring Anthropic or OpenAI to power a revamped Siri, potentially sidelining its in-house models in a bid to revive its struggling AI efforts.

“The iPhone maker has talked with both companies about using their large language models for Siri, according to people familiar with the discussions. It has asked them to train versions of their models that could run on Apple’s cloud infrastructure for testing, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations,” Bloomberg added.

From In-House to Outsourced?

Apple has spent years trying to build its own large language models (LLMs) to keep Siri competitive. Internally, the company developed the Apple Foundation Models and had plans to fully revamp Siri using its own AI stack. But after testing both internal and third-party options, Apple executives — including Siri lead Sam Rockwell — reportedly found Anthropic’s Claude to be more promising than their own solution. ChatGPT, powered by OpenAI, is also in the mix.

The company is now in talks to create custom versions of Claude and ChatGPT that would run on Apple’s own Private Cloud Compute servers. These servers are powered by Mac chips, which lets Apple stick to its promise of keeping user data as private as possible.

This shift isn’t just technical. It’s strategic. It signals that Apple is feeling the heat from competitors, and its internal efforts haven’t kept up.

Talent Trouble and Internal Turmoil

Apple’s AI division has had a rough few months. Senior researcher Tom Gunter left, and there’s been word of growing frustration among engineers. Some even threatened to walk. The company is clearly under pressure to show it can deliver something competitive, especially as rivals like Google and Samsung roll out flashy new AI features.

Partnering with an outside firm buys Apple some breathing room. Claude and ChatGPT are already battle-tested in public, and Apple knows they work. Plus, Apple has already been working with OpenAI through the new iOS 18 integration that lets Siri call on ChatGPT for more complex queries.

Why Anthropic?

Anthropic’s Claude has been getting a lot of praise lately, especially for handling coding tasks and nuanced questions — areas where Siri still stumbles. The company is also already working with Apple to upgrade Xcode with AI-powered suggestions, which could lay the groundwork for a deeper relationship.

But there’s a sticking point: money. Anthropic reportedly wants a multibillion-dollar annual deal that grows each year. That’s pushed Apple to keep talking with OpenAI — and even consider Perplexity AI — in case Anthropic doesn’t budge.

What This Means for Siri

If Apple goes through with this, Siri could start sounding a lot smarter — and soon. Bloomberg says Apple’s in-house “LLM Siri” project is still in play, targeting a launch in 2026. But using Claude or ChatGPT would speed up the timeline, possibly giving Siri a much-needed overhaul as early as next year.

That would help Apple compete more directly with Samsung’s Galaxy AI, which uses Google’s Gemini model. But it would also be a reputational risk. Apple has always pitched itself as the company that builds everything in-house, with privacy as a pillar. If Siri starts relying on outside tech, some users may start to question that story, even if the models run on Apple’s own secure servers.

The Bigger Picture

The truth is, building generative AI at scale is hard and expensive. Apple is now in a market where companies like Meta, Google, and OpenAI are throwing massive salaries at top AI talent. Privacy rules and Apple’s focus on on-device processing have also slowed things down internally.

Bringing in Anthropic or OpenAI doesn’t mean Apple is giving up on its AI efforts. It’s more like hedging. Rumors suggest Apple is still shopping for acquisitions — including startups like Perplexity AI — to beef up its AI stack and search capabilities.

What’s Next?

Right now, Apple is still negotiating. Adrian Perica, Apple’s head of corporate development, is leading the talks. Nothing is locked in. But if a deal is reached, the next version of Siri could finally handle complex tasks the way users have wanted for years, with help from Claude or ChatGPT under the hood.

The move could mark a turning point in how Apple approaches AI. Whether it’s a long-term strategy or just a way to buy time for its internal team, one thing is clear: Apple knows it can’t afford to fall behind.