Apple is reportedly developing an AI-powered search feature for Siri that could rely on Google’s Gemini model to generate web-based summaries. The tool, internally called “World Knowledge Answers,” would surface information from the internet and present it in concise overviews that include text, photos, videos, and points of interest. According to The Verge, the effort is described in a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who says Google is currently the front-runner to support Apple’s revamp of its voice assistant.
‘World Knowledge Answers’ and Siri’s planned upgrade
The “World Knowledge Answers” feature is intended to let users search for information and receive AI-generated summaries based on results from the web. Its multimedia interface could position it against AI-powered search tools from companies like OpenAI and Perplexity, The Verge notes. Apple’s broader Siri overhaul has been delayed, with the company working on capabilities that allow the assistant to tap into personal data and perform actions based on on-screen content.
The revamped Siri is reportedly structured around three components: a planner that interprets voice or text prompts, a search system that scans user data or the internet, and a summarizer that packages the information for users. Apple plans to use its own AI models to search user data, while evaluating external models for other tasks.
Google’s role and Apple’s testing timeline
Testing Gemini for summaries and exploring planning models
The Verge reports that Apple and Google have reached a “formal agreement” for Apple to test a Google-designed AI model for Siri’s summaries. While Apple evaluates Gemini for this summarization role, it is also assessing Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini for Siri’s planning function, according to the Bloomberg report cited by The Verge. Google is said to be in the lead to help power the feature, potentially via a custom Gemini model running on Apple’s servers.
Beyond search and planning, Apple reportedly aims to introduce the AI-upgraded Siri alongside iOS 26.4 as early as next March. The company is set to unveil its iPhone 17 lineup next week, but the assistant’s expanded AI capabilities are expected to arrive later, aligned with the software release timeline.
For additional context on Apple and Google’s longstanding ties around search, The Verge also highlights a separate report on their existing deal. The evolving collaboration around AI models could further shape how Siri retrieves and summarizes information for users.
