Apple tests ChatGPT-like chatbot to develop Siri

Apple is testing an upcoming Siri upgrade with an internal chatbot called Veritas, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The company's struggles in trying to keep up with the AI race are no secret.

The next-generation Siri has been delayed multiple times, and the launch of Apple Intelligence has received a lukewarm reception. Veritas allows Apple to quickly develop, test, and gather feedback on new Siri features, such as "searching for personal information... and performing in-app actions like editing photos."

A ChatGPT-style chatbot is being tested internally by Apple.

According to Gurman, Veritas is similar to other chatbot apps like ChatGPT and Gemini. Employees can type in requests, have back-and-forth conversations, and even review past conversations to dig deeper into a particular topic.

But at least for now, it doesn’t seem like Apple has any plans to release it to users. (Which Gurman believes is a mistake.) Instead, Apple plans to keep its internal chatbot internal. Instead, it’s increasingly likely that Apple will rely on Google’s Gemini for its AI search engine.

Veritas, Latin for "truth," the app allows Apple employees to quickly evaluate new Siri features, including searching for personal data like emails and songs, performing in-app actions like photo editing, and managing long-running conversations.

The app saves previous conversations, keeps track of previous queries, and acts as a testable chatbot for the upcoming Siri technology.

Apple is lagging behind in artificial intelligence features compared to other companies.

The system behind the app, codenamed Linwood, uses large language models that combine Apple's internal Platform Models with a third-party AI model. Veritas provided a platform to gather feedback on the usefulness of the chatbot format and the new Siri functionality.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has highlighted AI as a key focus, calling it “the biggest transformation in decades” and declaring: “This is something we can embrace. We’re going to invest to make it happen.”

In addition to Siri, Apple is also developing AI enhancements for HomePod, Apple TV, and AI-powered web search. Previous discussions have included possible partnerships with OpenAI, Anthropic's Claude, and more recently, Google's Gemini platform.

The Siri overhaul, originally planned for last spring, has faced multiple delays. Technical issues caused some features to crash up to a third of the time.

Those delays led to management changes, including the departure of AI chief John Giannandrea and Siri overseer Robby Walker from Apple in October. Walker previously founded the Answers, Knowledge, and Information (AKI) team, which is now the focus of the updated Siri's AI-powered search.

Veritas is still an internal tool, but it signals a big step forward in Apple’s AI plans. The company aims to integrate ChatGPT-style features into Siri while still maintaining control of the user experience, refining AI-driven tasks and expanding the assistant’s functionality on Apple devices.