When iOS 27 is released later this year, iPhone users will reportedly have more choices about which AI models to use on their devices.
According to a new report from Bloomberg, Apple plans to let users choose from a number of large third-party language models that can enhance various features within the iPhone’s operating system. The new feature, known internally as an “extension,” will give users “on-demand access to generated AI capabilities from installed apps through Apple Intelligence features such as Siri, Writing Tools, and Image Playground,” according to a message that appears in test versions of the software.
The new feature will also be available on iPadOS 27 and macOS 27, the outlet wrote, adding that models from Google and Anthropic are currently being tested. What position ChatGPT stands on is less clear. This is the model currently available to users, so it remains an option.
TechCrunch has reached out to Apple for more information.
With longtime CEO Tim Cook set to step down soon, Apple’s next chief executive, John Ternas, will be tasked with charting the company’s future, including its AI strategy. The company has not launched as many new AI services as some of its peers, and is widely perceived as a “laggard” when it comes to AI.
But Apple still brings in significant AI-based revenue, and its plans lie less in spending money on building AI infrastructure and services and more on turning existing hardware into AI-centric experiences for users.
