Apple has never dared release its own search engine, instead relying on Google (or your chosen alternative) as the default in Safari. The company is also lagging pretty far behind when it comes to intelligent assistants, with Siri seemingly no cleverer than it was a decade ago, and its promised upgrade delayed until 2026. But according to a report from Bloomberg, Apple is currently working on an advanced AI-powered search engine – something that could rival both Google and ChatGPT without directly competing with either.
Answers is reportedly the, uh, answer. A new team led by Robby Walker – previously in charge of Siri itself – the “Answers, Knowledge, and Information” team is reportedly developing an AI search that could work as a standalone app. Imagine a more advanced version of Google’s AI search summaries mixed with the conversational interface of ChatGPT. That’s essentially what Apple is working on, by the sounds of it.
It’s likely Answers would be an Apple exclusive, especially with the company working on developing its own in-house AI chips, and would presumably power improvements in Spotlight and Siri across Apple’s ecosystem.
Despite Apple being late to the AI game, and even late to its own promise of a better Siri, CEO Tim Cook isn’t worried. At a recent all-hands meeting, Cook reminded employees that Apple is rarely first to market, but usually offers a more “modern” version of something once the dust has settled. “There was a PC before the Mac; there was a smartphone before the iPhone; there were many tablets before the iPad; there was an MP3 player before iPod. This is how I feel about AI.”
Notably, this initiative is separate from Apple’s previously announced Siri overhaul, though the projects could eventually overlap. It might not be too long before you can ask your iPhone a question and actually get a coherent, factual answer instead of a disappointing link to Google’s search results or a prompt to ask ChatGPT.