Apple Builds Chatbot to Challenge Google in Search
Apple is making a significant strategic pivot in the artificial intelligence landscape, reportedly developing its own ChatGPT-like chatbot to challenge Google’s dominance in web search. This ambitious undertaking is being spearheaded by a newly formed internal division known as the “Answers, Knowledge and Information” (AKI) team.
The AKI team’s primary objective is to build an “answer engine,” a sophisticated system designed to crawl the web and provide direct, conversational responses to general knowledge queries, mirroring the capabilities of leading AI chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. This initiative marks a notable departure from Apple’s previous stance, where some executives reportedly dismissed the widespread consumer interest in chatbots.
Under the leadership of Robby Walker, a senior director who previously oversaw Siri’s development, the AKI team is exploring multiple avenues for integrating this new AI search capability. Plans include enhancing the search functions within future versions of Siri, Spotlight, and Safari, as well as the potential development of a standalone application. To accelerate this development, Apple is actively recruiting talent, with numerous job listings specifically seeking engineers experienced in search algorithms and engine development across the U.S. and China.
This aggressive move into AI-powered search comes at a crucial time for Apple. While the company introduced “Apple Intelligence” with features like summarization and image generation, it has faced criticism for a perceived lag in conversational AI capabilities compared to its rivals. Currently, Siri’s integration with ChatGPT is limited, often redirecting users to generic Google web searches for more complex queries.
Furthermore, Apple’s lucrative, multi-billion dollar agreement with Google, which makes Google the default search engine on Apple devices, is reportedly under scrutiny due to antitrust actions. Developing an in-house search solution could reduce Apple’s reliance on this deal, offering greater control over its ecosystem and potentially opening new revenue streams.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has reportedly emphasized the monumental importance of AI, asserting that the AI revolution is “as big or bigger” than the internet or smartphones, and that Apple intends to “dominate” this space. The formation of the AKI team and its focus on an “answer engine” signals Apple’s firm commitment to catching up in the rapidly evolving generative AI market, positioning itself as a direct competitor to the established players in AI search.