What will change? Apple to turn Siri into an AI chatbot later this year
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "What will change? Apple to turn Siri into an AI chatbot later this year")
Apple plans to turn Siri into full AI chatbot later this year Photograph: (AI)
Apple plans to transform Siri into a full AI chatbot later this year, code-named Campos. Integrated across iPhone, iPad and Mac, it will offer ChatGPT-like conversations, screen awareness and deep app control, marking Apple’s biggest AI shift yet.
Apple is preparing a major overhaul of Siri, aiming to turn the voice assistant into the company’s first full artificial intelligence chatbot later this year. The move will push Apple directly into the generative AI race dominated by OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. According to people familiar with the plan, the new chatbot is code-named Campos and will be deeply integrated into Apple’s operating systems across the iPhone, iPad and Mac. Users will activate it the same way they use Siri today, by saying “Siri” or holding the side button on their device.
What makes the new Siri different
The new chatbot will go far beyond the current version of Siri, which lacks smooth back-and-forth conversation and struggles with complex tasks. Unlike today’s assistant, Campos will offer a chat-style experience, similar to ChatGPT and Gemini, with both voice and typing options.
Apple plans to first release a smaller Siri upgrade with iOS 26.4 in the coming months. This update will keep the existing Siri interface but add features announced in 2024, including analysing on-screen content, searching the web more effectively and using personal data to complete tasks.
The full chatbot experience will arrive later in the year. Apple is expected to preview Campos at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June, with a public release likely in September.
How Campos will work across Apple devices
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As per media reports, campos will be built into iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27. Rather than being a separate app, the chatbot will be woven into the system, just like Siri is today. Apple is also testing it internally as a standalone app, but there are no plans to release that version to users.
The chatbot will be able to search the web, summarise information, generate images, analyse files and create content. It will also understand what is on the user’s screen and take actions, such as making calls, setting timers, opening apps or adjusting settings.
Apple plans to integrate the chatbot across core apps like Mail, Photos, Music, Podcasts, TV and even Xcode. For example, users could ask Siri to find a specific photo based on a description and edit it, or draft an email using calendar details already on the device.
Why Apple is changing its AI strategy
Apple has long avoided launching a standalone chatbot, arguing that users prefer AI built directly into features. Senior executives had previously said they did not want to push users into separate chat experiences.
However, competition has forced a rethink. Samsung, Google and several Chinese smartphone makers already offer deep conversational AI inside their devices. ChatGPT crossed 800 million weekly active users in October, highlighting how quickly chat-based AI has become mainstream.
Apple has also faced pressure after a slow and uneven rollout of its Apple Intelligence features in 2024. Turning Siri into a chatbot is now seen as central to Apple’s AI recovery plan.
Google’s role and privacy limits
Although Apple is designing the interface, the chatbot will rely heavily on AI models developed by Google’s Gemini team. Apple is reportedly paying Google around $1 billion a year for access to these models. The upcoming chatbot will run on a more advanced system than the one powering the earlier Siri update.
Unlike ChatGPT, Apple is considering strict limits on how much the chatbot can remember about users. The company is discussing tighter controls to protect privacy, a long-standing focus for Apple.
Apple has also designed Campos so that its AI models can be replaced in the future, giving the company flexibility to move away from Google if needed.
A turning point for Siri
The chatbot shift follows internal leadership changes at Apple, with software chief Craig Federighi taking greater control of AI strategy after longtime AI head John Giannandrea stepped aside. Apple has also hired senior AI talent from Google’s Gemini team.
If successful, Campos could mark the biggest change to Siri since its launch more than a decade ago, transforming it from a basic voice assistant into a central AI layer across Apple devices.
