California (TDI): Apple is making significant strides in artificial intelligence, assembling a dedicated team focused on developing advanced search capabilities that could eventually rival tools like ChatGPT.
The initiative is part of a broader effort to reinvent Siri, Spotlight, Safari, and more, as Apple looks to close the gap in the generative AI race.
The company has launched a hiring spree for a newly formed “Answers, Knowledge, and Information” division, according to recent job postings on Apple’s careers portal. More than a dozen AI-focused roles are open in the United States and China, including positions for machine learning engineers specializing in large language models (LLMs).
One key role, a Staff Machine Learning Engineer, will work on enhancing Siri’s ability to handle “personal domain questions,” such as those derived from a user’s documents, emails, or messages. Notably, Apple plans to integrate strict privacy safeguards into the design, maintaining its long-standing commitment to user data protection.
Read More: Trumps Threatens EU, Apple with New tariffs, Sparking Trade Fears
At WWDC 2024, Apple unveiled a personalized version of Siri, scheduled for release in 2026, featuring better contextual awareness and integration across individual apps. In the demo, Siri was able to pull flight details from Mail and cross-reference them with lunch plans in Messages.
However, the more conversational, LLM-powered version of Siri is unlikely to arrive before iOS 27, expected sometime in 2027. Behind the scenes, Apple is reportedly quietly laying the groundwork for a much more intelligent voice assistant and AI ecosystem.
Read More: World Renowned Apple Product Designer Joins OpenAI in $6.5 Billion Deal
Apple CEO Tim Cook has repeatedly emphasized that AI must be delivered with privacy and control at its core, a principle that is shaping Apple’s distinct approach to generative AI, in contrast to more open-ended models used by competitors.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
