Apple's answer to ChatGPT-like AI search experience is in the works: Report

Apple reportedly forms new "Answers, Knowledge and Information" team to develop AI-powered chatbot capable of searching the web

Apple is said to be working on a homegrown artificial intelligence-powered chatbot aimed at competing with services like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google Gemini. As per a report by Bloomberg, the company has created a new internal team called “Answers, Knowledge and Information” (AKI), tasked with building in-house AI services — including what’s described as a “ChatGPT-like search experience.”

 

The team is reportedly being led by Robby Walker, who previously oversaw Apple’s Siri voice assistant. Walker is now a senior director under Apple’s AI division and reports to John Giannandrea, the company’s head of AI strategy. 

 

  According to the report, the AKI team is still in the early stages of developing a product internally referred to as an “Answer Engine.” Bloomberg describes it as a system capable of crawling the internet and generating responses to general-knowledge queries. Apple is also said to be weighing the option of turning this feature into a standalone application, while also integrating its backend capabilities into future iterations of Siri, Spotlight, and Safari search.

 

The company has reportedly begun listing job openings tied to this initiative on its careers page, with several listings specifically seeking candidates experienced in search algorithms and engine development.

 

  While Apple already offers some AI-based search features via its Apple Intelligence platform, it currently relies on external services — such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT — to fulfil complex web-based queries routed through Siri. While Siri can perform basic web searches, it lacks the natural conversation abilities provided by AI chatbots like Gemini or ChatGPT. This proposed “Answer Engine” aims to bridge that gap by combining Siri’s contextual awareness with the language understanding and response capabilities of modern generative AI.

 

That said, the Bloomberg report emphasises that development remains in its early phases, and Apple could ultimately choose not to launch the service at all. Additionally, it notes that some leaders within Apple’s AI division remain sceptical about the long-term usefulness and direction of ChatGPT-style generative AI tools.