Apple Testing LLM Siri With ChatGPT-Like App

[MacRumors]

Apple designed a ChatGPT-like app to help its engineers test the overhauled version of Siri, reports Bloomberg. Unfortunately, the Siri app isn't going to be released to the public, and it's strictly for internal testing.

The app is being used to test new Siri features that Apple has planned, such as more contextual awareness, an ability to do more in and between apps, and deeper integration with personal data.

It is said to look similar to other chatbot apps, organized into multiple conversations across different topics. The app is able to remember and reference past chats, and it supports extended conversations.

Apple has been working on a smarter version of Siri since the launch of iOS 18. The company initially planned to debut an Apple Intelligence Siri as part of the update, but ended up delaying the functionality until 2026 because it did not meet Apple's standards.

The Apple Intelligence Siri plan was scrapped, and Apple decided to entirely overhaul Siri with second-generation architecture, speeding up an LLM transition. The upcoming version of Siri that Apple plans to release will use advanced large language models like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and other AI chatbots.

LLM Siri will be able to hold continuous conversations, provide human-like responses to questions, and complete more complex tasks.

Apple is on track to launch the LLM version of Siri in early 2026, likely as part of an iOS 26.4 update that could come in March. That will see Siri introduced a full year after Apple originally wanted to launch the updated version of the personal assistant.

At the end of next year, Apple is planning to unveil a new look for Siri, giving it a more humanoid design that could be similar to the Mac's Finder logo.

Apple has held talks with Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google, and it may use a third-party company to power the new version of Siri rather than relying on its in-house AI models.

Article Link: Apple Testing LLM Siri With ChatGPT-Like App

 

[MacUserFella]

Honestly should be made into an app for chat history and whatnot

 

[k1121j]

Please let this work on my home pods, 90% of my Siri use is at home via one of 7 home pods. Right now its borderline maddening using them.

 

[Phogro]

I'm okay with them not releasing another chatbot app if this work results in an evolution of the chatbot into something else. I don't think we need a Siri chatbot, like what's the value in that? But if Apple does the Apple thing and releases a unique perspective on what an LLM can do maybe it's useful, maybe it's not, but at least it's different.

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

Test until it's good. All of these LLM apps are beta at best tbh. They are wrong the whole time about everything. Confidently so.

 

[Line_Noise]

Confidently wrong is worse than incapable.

 

[PixelPanics]

I've been using the Apple Foundation model on an iOS app called Locally AI, and honestly I am quite impressed, it's super fast since it works offline, and the answers weren't bad at all! Even for basic coding and pokemon knowledge!

 

[ProbablyDylan]

I still don't get why people think Apple needs to or even should build a chatbot. I do not want to converse with my phone or computer; I want to tell it to do something and for it to just do the thing I told it to do.

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

I would really like an app . with the right amount of parameters it would be neat to have a local LLM made with those very devices in mind. unfortunately due to the way Ios works i don't think devs could make apps that leverage that llm/chatbot into a separate app.

but on mac ? I could see that

 

[Mitsjke]

Maybe Siri will be smart and usable in 2050 😭

 

[applicious84]

A Siri that doesn't do very much vs a Siri that harvests all your data. I'm not sure...

I'm also not sure that Siri isn't already harvesting all my data

 

[tennisproha]

It’s probably better that’s it’s not an app, so it can be more deeply integrated with the OS.

But I do agree with others saying the current LLM apps like Gemini and ChatGPT are beta at best. They provide so much misinformation that they’re pretty much unusable for anything serious.

 

[nostaws]

Apple is the one company who at leasts makes an attempt at privacy, that's the main reason I stay

That being said, Google, OpenAI and the lot release their apps on the fly and have millions of users provide feedback. Apple needs to do that with this app. AI inherently needs volumes of data and users to get it right.

 

[Biro]

I’m happy for AI fans that they’ll get this before too long. Just as long as I can keep it turned off.

 

[HouseLannister]

It will be ready to test almost two years after announcement. Bet they slap a preview or beta label on it just to cover their butts. It might not even be good until it gets several updates and app developers have time to take advantage of the intents thing. So expect it to be usable by Winter 2026.

Granted, Google's Magic Cue didn't impress and they pulled their preview of Daily Hub, so they haven't got Gemini there yet either. No one has delivered on the magical (read: functional) digital assistant yet.

 

[jimscard]

I'm okay with them not releasing another chatbot app if this work results in an evolution of the chatbot into something else. I don't think we need a Siri chatbot, like what's the value in that? But if Apple does the Apple thing and releases a unique perspective on what an LLM can do maybe it's useful, maybe it's not, but at least it's different.

Craig stated that Apple isn’t going for a chatbot, and the integrations we’ve seen as recently as yesterday’s Code Along session make it clear that the real power in Apple Intelligence lies in what it, and AppIntents enable developers to do in their apps - and users to do in Shortcuts and directly from Spotlight on the Mac.

 

[F23]

Hey Siri am I holding you wrong?

 

[Lioness~]

Maybe Siri will be smart and usable in 2050 😭

You’re optimistic, right? 😉

 

[Neil J. Squillante]

When you log into an AI chatbot, the default interface is text, not voice. Apple needs a text chatbot, not just a new Siri. This would provide a central location to store all your Apple Intelligence interactions, including edits in Pages, Safari summaries, Siri transcripts, etc. I hope Apple changes its mind.

 

[Neil J. Squillante]

Honestly should be made into an app for chat history and whatnot

💯 Chat history/memory and being able to resume a chat days, weeks, months, and even years later is the killer app of AI. It's like digging up an old email message when you want to reconnect with someone. The old message provides context. One great use is creating simple AppleScripts. When you want to add a new feature, you don't have to start over. I'm sure I speak for many here — we want to generate AppleScripts in an Apple chatbot.

 

[coolfactor]

It’s probably better that’s it’s not an app, so it can be more deeply integrated with the OS.

But I do agree with others saying the current LLM apps like Gemini and ChatGPT are beta at best. They provide so much misinformation that they’re pretty much unusable for anything serious.

I was confused by this article, too, especially when it stated that "The app is able to remember and reference past chats, and it supports extended conversations."

This app that Apple is using is most likely just a Test Client in AI-terms. In the new Agentic world of AI, clients can provide an AI Model with a list of available Tools. The Model can call those tools, as needed, to perform certain tasks, instead of trying to do them itself directly, which often has led to hallucinations.

Non-Agentic Setup
User > Client > Model

Agentic Setup
User > Client, with Agent > (set of tools) > Model

The new Siri won't be presented as an "App" in the same way as we access other AI providers currently. It will definitely be seamlessly integrated. This app that the article speaks of is likely just for testing only. Copying existing solutions is not what Apple is aiming for. Technology needs to be invisible.

 

[JosephAW]

Not sure how they’re gonna make it localized without adding a lot of memory (100GB+) to computers and phones.
Was thinking maybe they could have devices with a dedicated LLM chip preloaded from factory that can be flashed with updates from the last revision that way the updates are not as huge. 📱
Downloading an entire 90 to 200 GB file each time there’s an update is not gonna be practical for cellular and even Wi-Fi plans.
And doing live LLM’s AI via cellular or Wi-Fi will be too slow, insecure and data server intensive.

 

[Kylo83]

Gemini is way advance, and now with the nano banana photo changes it’s years ahead of Apple

 

[HouseLannister]

Gemini is way advance, and now with the nano banana photo changes it’s years ahead of Apple

As a tool for research and questions, absolutely. However, it is a garbage digital assistant, same as Siri. The workspace integrations break too often, the responses are slow, and you get very different accessibility to your stuff depending on if you are using Gemini Live or typing a question into Gemini. Half the time it just lies and says it doesn't have access to your email or some such.

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

I still don't get why people think Apple needs to or even should build a chatbot. I do not want to converse with my phone or computer; I want to tell it to do something and for it to just do the thing I told it to do.

It will do that too. Well, eventually.