Aug 04, 2025 - Apple, a company known for its innovative hardware and privacy-focused ecosystem, is reportedly making a bold move into artificial intelligence (AI) by developing its own AI-powered “answer engine.” This initiative, led by a newly formed team called “Answers, Knowledge, and Information” (AKI), aims to create a conversational AI tool similar to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, capable of answering user queries by synthesizing information from the web. This development, reported by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman signals Apple’s intent to compete in the rapidly evolving AI landscape and potentially reshape its long-standing search partnership with Google.
Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, has publicly emphasized the company’s need to “win” in AI. During an all-hands meeting following an earnings call in August 2025, Cook told employees, “Apple must do this. Apple will do this. This is sort of ours to grab.” This statement reflects Apple’s recognition that it has fallen behind competitors in the AI race, particularly in generative AI and conversational search. Despite launching AI features under the Apple Intelligence umbrella, upgrades to Siri have faced significant delays, prompting Apple to accelerate its efforts.
The development of an AI answer engine also comes at a critical time for Apple’s $20 billion search deal with Google. Recent antitrust scrutiny in the U.S. has raised questions about the sustainability of this partnership, which makes Google the default search engine on Apple devices. An in-house answer engine could reduce Apple’s reliance on Google, offering a proprietary alternative that aligns with its ecosystem and privacy standards.
Apple’s entry into the AI answer engine space could have far-reaching implications for the tech industry:
- Competition in AI: By developing its own answer engine, Apple is directly challenging OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft, which dominate the conversational AI market. Apple’s focus on privacy could differentiate its offering, appealing to users concerned about data security.
- Search Landscape: The rise of AI-powered search tools is transforming how users access information, moving away from traditional search engines to conversational interfaces. Apple’s answer engine could accelerate this shift, especially if integrated into its widely used devices.
According to multiple sources, Apple’s answer engine is designed to provide concise, contextually relevant responses to user queries, moving beyond traditional search result lists. The project is still in its early stages, with no confirmed launch date, but its potential applications are wide-ranging:
- Integration with Apple Ecosystem: The answer engine could enhance Siri, making it a more conversational and capable assistant, or improve search functionalities in Safari and Spotlight. There’s also speculation about a standalone app, which could offer a new way for users to interact with Apple’s AI.
- Leadership and Team: The AKI team, led by Robby Walker, a former Siri executive, is actively hiring experts in search algorithms and engine development. This suggests Apple is investing heavily in building a robust AI infrastructure.
- Comparison to Competitors: Unlike Google’s Bard or Microsoft’s Copilot, which rely heavily on cloud-based processing, Apple’s answer engine may prioritize on-device processing to align with its privacy-first philosophy. However, integrating web-crawling capabilities could require a balance between cloud and local computation.
While Apple’s answer engine is not expected to launch imminently, its development signals a strategic shift for the company. As AI continues to reshape the tech landscape, Apple’s ability to deliver a competitive, privacy-focused answer engine could determine its position in the next wave of innovation. The company’s history of refining existing technologies—such as the iPhone, iPad, and Mac—suggests that while Apple may not be the first to market, it could redefine the AI answer engine space with a polished, user-friendly product.
