Apple is Reportedly Working on ChatGPT-Like Search Product

Apple has reportedly formed a new Answers, Knowledge, and Information team working on a ChaGPT-like search product and other AI-powered services. In the latest edition of his Power On Newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple has overcome its initial reservations regarding AI chatbots after integrating ChatGPT into Apple Intelligence and exploring search partnerships with other AI startups like Perplexity.

Until now, Apple had no real incentive to develop its own search product thanks to its lucrative deal with Google, which pays Apple approximately $20 billion a year to be the default search engine on Apple devices. However, this search deal is being challenged by the US Department of Justice, which is seeking to prevent Google from paying partners like Apple for Search placement.

While Apple’s Siri digital assistant can now utilize ChatGPT for search on devices that support Apple Intelligence, it often offers a list of Google Search results instead of the comprehensive answers users of ChatGPT and other AI chatbots have grown accustomed to. This is what’s finally pushing Apple’s new Answers, Knowledge, and Information team to work on a stripped-down alternative to ChatGPT.

“While still in early stages, the team is building what it calls an “answer engine” — a system capable of crawling the web to respond to general-knowledge questions,” Gurman explained. “A standalone app is currently under exploration, alongside new back-end infrastructure meant to power search capabilities in future versions of Siri, Spotlight and Safari.”

Gurman believes that “a finished product may still be far off,” which aligns with Apple’s “best, not first” philosophy. However, there’s still the possibility of Apple speeding up that work thanks to an acquisition. “We’re very open to M&A that accelerates our roadmap,” Tim Cook said last week during the earnings call with investors after the company reported its third-quarter earnings.