Siri voice assistant surrounded by Apple devices with OpenAI and Anthropic logos, symbolizing AI upgrade

Apple’s Siri may soon get a brain transplant powered by OpenAI or Anthropic, ushering in a smarter era for voice assistants.

Siri’s Big Brain Upgrade: Apple May Replace Its Own AI With Claude or ChatGPT

Written by Mohit Singhania | Updated: July 1, 2025 | TechMasala.in

Siri has been a glorified alarm clock for over a decade. Sure, it can tell you the weather or set a timer, but ask it anything deeper and it usually gives up. Now, Apple may finally be ready to fix that. But not by improving its own tech. Instead, it’s reportedly planning to hand over Siri’s brain to someone else. That someone could be ChatGPT or Claude

This marks a huge shift in Apple’s AI story. For a company known for building everything in-house, relying on outside intelligence is almost unthinkable. Yet here we are, and honestly, it might be the smartest thing Apple has done in years.

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Apple Siri AI May Soon Run on Claude or ChatGPT

Apple is reportedly in talks with both OpenAI and Anthropic to power the next-generation Siri AI. The plan is to run customized versions of ChatGPT or Claude on Apple’s own Private Cloud Compute, a secure server setup powered by the company’s in-house Mac chips.

This setup would allow Apple to keep user data private while finally giving Siri the intelligence it has been missing. And let’s be real, it needs it. Google’s Gemini is already controlling Android phones with contextual awareness. Alexa+ is getting more proactive by the day. Siri, meanwhile, still struggles with basic multi-step tasks.

So Apple’s considering something it has rarely done before. If you can’t beat them, license them.

Siri’s Lost Decade: Why Apple’s AI Fell Behind

For years, Apple insisted on using only its Foundation Models, built by its in-house AI team. But that strategy hasn’t paid off. Despite splashy announcements, most Siri upgrades have been underwhelming. Even Apple’s own executives, like Craig Federighi and Greg Joswiak, haven’t had convincing answers about Siri’s lagging capabilities.

At WWDC 2025, many expected a huge Apple Siri AI upgrade. Instead, there was silence. Soon after, reports surfaced that Apple had been quietly testing Claude and ChatGPT behind the scenes.

“Apple’s pride in doing everything itself may be the very reason Siri stayed dumb for so long.”

Claude vs ChatGPT: Which AI Will Power Apple’s Siri?

Both Claude and ChatGPT are being tested internally at Apple. Early reports suggest that Anthropic’s Claude is slightly ahead. Engineers found it especially strong at understanding context, processing complex queries, and even handling code-related tasks. These are areas where Siri has consistently struggled.

Apple has asked both companies to train custom versions of their models that can run on Apple’s servers. These models won’t send your voice queries to external cloud providers. Instead, everything will be processed within Apple’s walled garden of security and privacy.

The stakes are high. Claude may be technically ahead, but Anthropic is reportedly asking for a multibillion-dollar annual licensing deal that would increase in cost every year, making the partnership extremely expensive for Apple in the long run. That could push Apple closer to OpenAI, where it already has an existing ChatGPT integration on iPhones.

Siri’s glow-up? Apple may hand over the assistant’s brain to OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Anthropic’s Claude.

The Private Cloud Play: Apple Wants Intelligence, Not Leaks

One thing is clear. Apple will not compromise on privacy. The entire strategy depends on running AI on Apple’s own infrastructure. These Private Cloud Compute servers are built on the same Mac chips you find in your iPhone or MacBook, but optimized for AI workloads.

By keeping the processing in-house, Apple can offer richer AI-powered Siri features without sending personal data outside its ecosystem. This is critical, especially as the company positions itself as the most privacy-conscious Big Tech player.

But it’s not just about Siri. Apple reportedly wants to expand these AI capabilities into future projects, including AI-powered glasses, Xcode developer tools, and even robotic assistants.

Inside Apple’s AI Team Turmoil

This pivot has sparked tension inside Apple. Tom Gunter, a senior researcher who spent eight years working on Apple’s large language models, recently resigned, as confirmed by AppleInsider. The team behind MLX, Apple’s open-source AI framework, was reportedly on the verge of quitting but decided to stay after internal negotiations and retention offers.

Control of Siri has already shifted. John Giannandrea, Apple’s former AI chief, has reportedly lost oversight of Siri following delays and internal criticism. Mike Rockwell, who previously led the Vision Pro project, now leads Siri development alongside software head Craig Federighi.

LLM Siri, powered by Apple’s Foundation Models (still in development)
Siri AI (Claude or ChatGPT), being tested for possible 2025 launch

The outcome of these tests will determine which version of Siri we get, and whether Apple continues building AI in-house or chooses to license it for the long term.

Even OpenAI has been losing top researchers lately, as we noted in this report. Apple is facing similar challenges behind the scenes.

Can Apple Siri AI Finally Compete With Gemini or Alexa+?

Let’s talk product. If Apple can get Claude or ChatGPT running smoothly, Siri may finally become useful.

Here’s what users could expect:

Natural conversation flow
On-screen content recognition
Multi-step task execution (like “Book my cab and text my team”)
Smarter app control across iPhones, iPads, and Macs

That’s a huge leap from where Siri is today. Google’s Gemini Nano already does most of this on Pixel phones. Amazon’s new Claude-powered Alexa+ is catching up too. If Siri doesn’t evolve fast, it risks becoming irrelevant.

Apple plans to roll out major Siri AI upgrades with iOS 26.4 in Spring 2026, but if it finalizes a Claude or ChatGPT deal soon, we might see smarter features arrive as early as 2025.

Final Thoughts: Apple Built the iPhone. But It Might Not Build Its Brain.

This move raises a philosophical question. If Apple doesn’t build the intelligence behind Siri, does it still control the experience?

The company that built its own chips, designed its own hardware, and even created its own Swift programming language, is now depending on outside firms to make Siri smart. That’s not just a change in direction. It’s a sign that even Apple can’t do everything alone.

But maybe that’s okay. Because if handing Siri’s brain to Claude or ChatGPT finally gives us a voice assistant that understands us, instead of just replying with search links, then it’s a win for users. And in 2025, that’s what really matters.