Apple is realigning its AI strategy. After more than a year with relatively few innovations in the Apple Intelligence field, there are strong indications that the company is now pursuing a clearer and more pragmatic course. Instead of pursuing numerous parallel AI projects, Apple is focusing on a revamped Siri, based on Google's Gemini platform, which will be deeply integrated into several core apps.
Since the introduction of Apple Intelligence, Apple has only released a few new AI features. Recent additions include AutoMix in Apple Music and Workout Buddy on the Apple Watch. Major, system-wide innovations have been lacking. Internally, however, there were significantly more ambitious plans, some of which have since been abandoned or put on hold.
According to Mark Gurman's latest Power On newsletter, this is about to change. Apple apparently plans to focus more on a unified AI experience in 2026, with Siri as the central element.
Farewell to the "World Knowledge Answers" project
Apple had been working on an internal project called "World Knowledge Answers" for some time. This system was intended to directly compete with ChatGPT and Perplexity, providing independent AI answers. However, the project has since been scaled back. Instead of developing a completely in-house solution, Apple is gradually replacing existing technologies with Google's Gemini.
This decision marks a significant change in strategy. Apple is now relying more heavily on external AI models, instead of controlling and building everything itself.
AI safari and health features put on hold
„World Knowledge Answers“ isn’t the only project that’s currently no longer a priority. According to Gurman, Apple was also working on a comprehensive AI overhaul of Safari. The browser was to be made fit for the AI age and, among other things, assess the trustworthiness of documents and compare information from multiple sources. This was planned as a response to new AI-based offerings from OpenAI and Perplexity.
These Safari plans are currently on hold. While there's a possibility that work will resume before WWDC26, Apple is not actively pursuing the project at present. The situation is similar with AI features in the healthcare sector. According to Gurman, Apple has also gone "back to the drawing board" in this area.
From individual chatbots to a unified system
Apple originally planned to integrate standalone, chatbot-like features into apps such as Safari, TV, Health, Music, and Podcasts. However, this approach was reconsidered after the departure of John Giannandrea, the former Senior Vice President of Machine Learning and AI Strategy.
Instead of offering multiple separate chatbots, Apple is now focusing on a unified experience. The upcoming Gemini-based Siri will be deeply integrated into core apps. Siri will therefore no longer be conceived as an isolated assistant, but as an integral part of the respective applications.
Few details yet, but a tight schedule
The specifics of this deep integration are not yet known. However, Apple has previously demonstrated how Siri can interact directly with apps via so-called App Intents. This suggests that Siri could be significantly more integrated into workflows within apps in the future.
According to Gurman, Apple plans to announce the new Siri version as early as next month. This brings closer a project that was first presented at WWDC24 and has since been postponed several times.
2026 as a turning point for Apple Intelligence
Even though many AI plans have been scaled back or put on hold, 2026 promises to be a pivotal year for Apple Intelligence. With a revamped, Gemini-powered Siri deeply integrated into core apps, Apple is pursuing a more focused approach than before. Instead of numerous individual AI functions, the focus is now on a cohesive system. Whether this shift in direction will be enough to catch up with other AI platforms remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that Apple has fundamentally reorganized its AI strategy. (Image: Shutterstock / Primakov)
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