What to know

  • Apple is reportedly building its own AI-powered answer engine to compete with Google and OpenAI.
  • The project is internally referred to as "Apple Answers" and is being developed by Apple's Information Retrieval team.
  • This engine could power search and information queries across Apple devices in the future.
  • No official announcement or release date has been confirmed by Apple yet.

Apple is making headlines with reports that it is developing its own AI answer engine, a move that could shake up the way you search for information on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. According Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the project is internally known as "Apple Answers" and is being spearheaded by Apple's Information Retrieval team. This initiative aims to create a proprietary system capable of providing direct, AI-generated answers to user queries, much like what you see with Google Search or OpenAI's ChatGPT.

The timing of this news is significant. Apple has been steadily ramping up its AI efforts, especially after the recent unveiling of Apple Intelligence at WWDC 2025. However, while Apple Intelligence focuses on on-device AI features and personal assistance, the new answer engine project is reportedly designed to handle broader information retrieval and search tasks. This could mean that, in the near future, when you ask Siri a question or type a query into Spotlight, you might get a direct, AI-generated answer instead of just a list of web results.

Insiders say that Apple has been assembling a team of AI and search experts to work on this project. The company has also been quietly hiring talent from other tech giants, including Google and Microsoft, to bolster its capabilities in this area. The goal is to create an engine that not only understands natural language queries but also delivers accurate, context-aware answers quickly and securely.

While details about the underlying technology remain under wraps, it's clear that Apple wants to differentiate its answer engine by emphasizing privacy and on-device processing wherever possible. This approach aligns with Apple's broader philosophy of protecting user data and minimizing reliance on cloud-based services.

As of now, Apple has not officially confirmed the existence of the answer engine project, and there is no word on when it might launch. However, the company's recent investments in AI and search technology suggest that something big is on the horizon. If successful, Apple's answer engine could become a core feature across its ecosystem, potentially reducing users' dependence on Google and other third-party search providers.

For now, all eyes are on Apple as the tech world waits to see how this ambitious project unfolds. Stay tuned for more updates as the story develops.

Via: techcrunch.com