iPhone 17 Pro launch to surprise Apple enthusiasts; secret AI tool in development: Report

New Delhi:

Ahead of the launch of the iPhone 17 series, Apple is reportedly making a significant move. The company is secretly developing a search tool with features similar to ChatGPT. This new tool could pose a major challenge to the offerings from Google and OpenAI. According to reports, Apple might integrate this feature into iOS 26 to provide its users with a superior AI experience.

New AKI team formed

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Apple has established an internal team to develop this AI search tool, named AKI, which stands for Answers, Knowledge, and Information. As the name suggests, the tool will answer user questions and provide knowledge and information.

This AKI team will be led by Robbie Walker, a former Siri executive. Walker will report to Apple's head of AI, John Giannandrea. Before the iPhone 16 series launch, Apple partnered with OpenAI, integrating ChatGPT into its voice assistant Siri. It now appears that Apple is aiming to develop its own tool to offer a better user experience.

Developing AI tools

Recently, a senior Apple executive stated that the company needs a chatbot-style AI. Apple is now preparing to expand its AI strategy, which includes developing several new tools. These tools will provide users with notifications, summaries, and writing suggestions. Additionally, Siri, whose upgrade was postponed, will also be improved next year.

According to the report, the AKI team is tasked with providing users with a new search experience, similar to ChatGPT or Perplexity AI. This tool will offer an AI-driven search experience. Bloomberg also reports that the tool is being tested on the iPhone 17 Pro series to gain real-world experience, with the company keeping its hardware and software parts within the main product cycle.

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