Apple is developing an in-house artificial intelligence team to build a ChatGPT-like search experience, marking a significant strategic shift despite the company’s previous dismissal of chatbot development, Bloomberg reported.
The initiative, internally designated as the “Answers, Knowledge, and Information” (AKI) unit, was formed earlier this year and focuses on creating proprietary AI services centered on information retrieval. This development signifies a departure from Apple’s historical reluctance to adopt chatbot technology and follows reported discussions about potential partnerships with AI search startups like Perplexity.
Robby Walker, a former Siri executive now leading the AKI unit, had publicly criticized Apple’s recent AI setbacks during a company meeting. He described the extended delays for the next-generation Siri upgrade as “ugly and embarrassing” after losing oversight of the virtual assistant project earlier this year. Walker is now at the helm of developing Apple’s standalone AI search capabilities.
While the development of this new AI search experience remains in its early stages, with no imminent product launch expected, it represents Apple’s intensified commitment to competing in the generative AI space. The company continues to face pressure to deliver compelling AI features following criticism of its Apple Intelligence debut and the postponed Siri overhaul.
