Apple to Open Siri to Third-Party AI Models via New “Extensions” System
Apple is reportedly making a massive shift in its artificial intelligence strategy. Moving away from its exclusive partnership with OpenAI, the tech giant is planning to allow users to choose their preferred third-party chatbots to power Siri. In the near future, Siri will no longer be locked exclusively to ChatGPT; instead, it will open its doors to rival intelligent assistants like Claude from Anthropic and Gemini from Google.
iOS 27 and the New “Extensions” Feature
This massive wave of changes is expected to debut alongside the official announcements of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 at the highly anticipated WWDC 2026 event this coming June.
The core of this update relies on a brand-new feature simply called “Extensions.” This system will allow users to navigate to their Apple Intelligence and Siri settings and select their preferred primary AI model. By simply downloading the respective chatbot application from the App Store, the operating system will open a direct channel, allowing Siri to route complex queries and processing tasks directly to those third-party services.
Ending the ChatGPT Monopoly (and Creating Revenue)
This new open-door policy effectively shatters the exclusivity that ChatGPT has held since 2024. The original OpenAI agreement was notably structured without direct monetary exchange, focusing instead on mutual exposure and benefits.
However, by opening the platform to multiple competitors, Apple has found a much clearer path to monetization. If a user decides to subscribe to a premium tier of any of these AI chatbots (such as ChatGPT Plus or Claude Pro) through the App Store, Apple will secure its standard 30% platform fee. This is a brilliant strategic move—Apple significantly enhances its device’s capabilities while simultaneously generating a massive new revenue stream.
Google’s $1 Billion Foothold in Apple Intelligence
Even with users gaining the freedom to choose their primary chatbot, Google is perfectly positioned to remain the most influential player within the Apple ecosystem.
According to reports, Apple has agreed to pay Google approximately $1 billion (roughly 36 billion THB) to utilize Gemini as a foundational powerhouse behind the new generation of Siri. Even if a user manually selects Anthropic’s Claude as their main assistant, Gemini will reportedly still handle specific, specialized background tasks directly woven into the core Apple Intelligence system.
The Ultimate AI Device
The journey to make Siri smarter has been famously plagued by internal delays and structural shifts. However, this new strategy of combining the best third-party technologies offers a highly effective short-term solution to bring Siri back up to modern AI standards.
This newfound openness could easily transform the iPhone into the world’s most versatile AI platform. Users will no longer be forced to rely on a single model’s limitations; instead, they can seamlessly swap between the specialized strengths of different AI companies for coding, document summarization, or deep web research. All eyes are now on WWDC 2026 to see exactly how this ambitious integration will unfold.
