Siri opens up to Gemini and Claude. A major shift in Apple’s strategy

Apple’s decision to open up Siri to third-party AI models, such as Gemini and Claude, marks the definitive end of the closed ecosystem era in favour of a role as a neutral technology distributor. This is a strategic shift that transforms the iPhone into a universal interface for the entire smart services industry, whilst securing new sources of revenue from subscription commissions.

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Author: Andy Wang / Unplash

For years, Apple ‘s strategy was based on building a ‘walled garden’ in which every element of the user experience was rigorously controlled by Cupertino engineers. However, with the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence, the Tim Cook-led giant seems to understand that the key to dominance is no longer exclusivity, but the role of master distributor. According to the latest reports, the upcoming iOS update is set to bring a fundamental change: Siri will cease to be just an interface for Apple services and ChatGPT, becoming an open platform for third-party AI models.

The planned integration with systems such as Gemini from Alphabet and Claude from Anthropic is a move that The Information style can describe as a pragmatic shift towards a platform model. Rather than forcing users to use a single proprietary solution, Apple is positioning the iPhone as a central hub where the consumer decides which ‘intelligence’ will best respond to their specific query. It’s a strategic acknowledgement that in a world of LLMs (Large Language Models), no company can maintain a sustainable advantage in everything from creative writing to advanced programming.

By allowing AI apps from the App Store to interact directly with Siri, Apple is creating a mechanism that could become the new standard for voice interaction. At the same time, the company is safeguarding its financial interests. Opening up Siri to external players is not only a nod to user convenience, but more importantly a new revenue path. Apple is likely to take a significant share of subscription fees from AI services integrated into its ecosystem, which could compensate for slowing hardware sales.

If these announcements are confirmed at the upcoming WWDC, we will see the transformation of Siri from a limited assistant to a powerful layer of service orchestration. Apple is no longer just trying to catch up with the competition in the model performance race; instead, it is building the infrastructure that every major AI company will need to be present to reach the billion iPhone users.

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