Apple Trails Rivals with ChatGPT-Like Siri App Still in Testing – PYMNTS.com
Apple is building a ChatGPT-like iPhone app to test a revamped version of Siri. Still, the tool is restricted to internal testing only and will not be released to consumers, Bloomberg reported Friday (Sept. 26). The app lets Apple engineers experiment with features such as searching through emails and music or completing in-app tasks like editing photos, giving the company a faster way to refine Siri’s capabilities.
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According to Bloomberg, the software code-named Veritas, Latin for “truth,” is meant for internal use, at least for now. Apple has no current plans to release it to consumers. The project further underscores Apple’s late arrival in generative AI. OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google Gemini already power consumer-facing assistants, while Microsoft has embedded Copilot across Windows and Office and recently expanded it with Anthropic models. These products are live in the market, while Apple’s ChatGPT-style app remains locked in a sandbox phase accessible only to employees.
The cautious stance was evident at the iPhone 17 launch, where executives emphasized chip performance and design upgrades. AI features such as live translation in Messages, FaceTime, and visual recognition in Photos were mentioned briefly, but most had been previewed months earlier at Apple’s developer conference. The shift marked a reversal from the iPhone 16 debut, when AI took center stage before delays slowed deployment.
Apple’s prolonged testing phase could leave it behind in shaping consumer expectations. A Bloomberg investigation noted Siri has already lost relevance, while Tokenist reported that Apple risks a “Nokia moment” if it fails to deliver robust AI features soon. By contrast, rivals are collecting vast consumer data from products already deployed at scale.
If Apple keeps its most ambitious AI features in the testing stage for too long, competitors may set the standard for consumer-facing AI. Apple’s internal app signals that the company recognizes the stakes, but by keeping it in testing while rivals scale, it risks being too late to redefine Siri’s role in the generative AI race. Even without a consumer rollout, the internal app signals a new stage in Apple’s push to rebuild Siri, a release seen as critical to changing perceptions of the company’s AI strategy. After repeated delays, the upgraded Siri is now expected to launch as early as March.
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