Apple is reportedly developing an internal AI‑driven search feature—codenamed World Knowledge Answers—that aims to transform Siri into a true “answer engine” by delivering AI‑generated summaries that combine text, images, video and local points of interest. Built to rival the likes of OpenAI‘s ChatGPT and Perplexity, the tool will initially debut in Siri and is expected to expand into Safari and Spotlight by spring 2026. While the system will rely in part on Apple’s own AI for user‑context processing, the company has struck a formal agreement with Google to test Google’s Gemini model within its servers. Apple’s broader AI overhaul also includes new planner and summarizer components and is scheduled to roll out as part of iOS 26.4.
Sources: The Verge, Search Engineland, Mac World
Key Takeaways
– Apple is upping its AI game by building World Knowledge Answers as an “answer engine” to deliver rich, multimodal Siri responses.
– Google’s Gemini model is part of the plan—Apple will test Gemini on its servers while leveraging its own AI for personal and on-device data handling.
– Rollout is expected in spring 2026 with iOS 26.4, marking a significant upgrade to Siri, Safari, and Spotlight.
In-Depth
You know how Siri’s been lagging behind those slick AI assistants like ChatGPT and Perplexity? Well, Apple’s apparently stepping things up with what insiders are calling World Knowledge Answers—a sort of supercharged search feature built right into Siri.
Instead of just pulling from Siri’s limited stale dataset, this system will actively crawl the web and deliver polished, AI-generated summaries complete with text, images, videos, and local info. The idea is to make Siri feel like a genuine answer engine, not just a digital assistant.
Under the hood, Apple is doing a hybrid approach. They want their own AI handling things like tapping into your personal context and on-device data. But for the heavy lifting in search capabilities, they’re apparently testing out Google’s Gemini model on their servers—that’s thanks to a newly arranged pact with Google.
On top of that, Siri is getting a full AI makeover with a smarter planner and summarizer to better parse what you ask and deliver more intuitive responses. Word is, this all drops with iOS 26.4 in spring 2026, right after the launch of the iPhone 17. And it won’t just be Siri getting smarter—Apple plans to extend the tech into Safari and Spotlight, making it part of everyday usage across the ecosystem.
It’s a bold move to close the gap with other AI platforms. If Apple pulls this off, Siri could finally feel competitive. We’ll just have to see if users embrace it, and how cleanly Apple blends in the privacy factor—because that’s always the wild card.