Apple has been a bit quiet on the Artificial Intelligence front. While other phone makers have raced ahead, Apple barely mentioned AI during its event this past Tuesday. Yet, a big name in the AI world seems to think a major change for iPhones sounds pretty good.
Sam Altman, who co-founded and runs OpenAI, shared his excitement on X. He said the latest iPhone update was the first in a while he genuinely wanted. That’s when Yuchen Jin, an executive from another AI company called Hyperbolic, jumped into the conversation. Jin asked Altman if ChatGPT’s conversational voice mode could simply replace Siri. Altman’s direct reply was, “honestly,” that it sounded like “a great idea.” He added, “i am supportive.”
that tbh sounds like a great idea, i am supportive
— Sam Altman (@sama) September 10, 2025
This public chat is pretty interesting, especially since OpenAI is already working closely with Apple. OpenAI provides the core AI brains for some key parts of Apple Intelligence, like the Writing Tools. Siri even works with OpenAI’s technology already. If Apple’s assistant can’t answer a question, it simply hands the user off to ChatGPT.
Apple’s Open Mind About External AI for Siri
We recently heard that Apple is thinking about using AI models from other companies, such as OpenAI or Anthropic. This move would help power a much-improved Siri in the future. Apple promised a smarter virtual assistant at WWDC 2024. This new Siri would understand what you mean and could do things inside your apps. However, the release date for this upgraded Siri was officially pushed back in March 2025.
As part of these plans, Apple has reportedly asked OpenAI and Anthropic to create and train special versions of their AI models. These models would then run on Apple’s own secure Private Cloud Compute system. But it’s not just those two companies. Apple also approached Google, according to a report from Bloomberg. The company talked with Alphabet, Google’s parent, about “exploring building a custom AI model that would serve as the basis for the new Siri next year.”