Apple may be preparing to step directly into the AI search arena, with a new in-house tool designed to rival OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, a dedicated team—internally known as Answers, Knowledge and Information (AKI)—was formed earlier this year to create what Apple is calling an “answer engine”.

The project’s goal is to deliver AI-powered search capabilities that go beyond Apple’s current offerings. While iPhone users can already link Siri and Apple Intelligence to ChatGPT for online queries, Apple doesn’t have its own standalone AI search platform. The AKI team is reportedly exploring whether this new tool could fill that gap, while also upgrading search features in Siri, Spotlight, and Safari.

The group is led by Robby Walker, who reports directly to Apple’s AI chief, John Giannandrea—a key figure in Apple’s broader artificial intelligence strategy.

A Shift in Apple’s AI Stance

The development marks a change in Apple’s public position. At WWDC 2024, the company partnered with OpenAI but dismissed the need to build its own chatbot, suggesting consumer demand wasn’t high enough. That was before generative AI’s rapid growth—today, around 36% of internet users say they prefer AI chatbots over traditional search engines.

In the months since, Apple has faced delays in rolling out several announced AI-powered Siri features, plus internal shake-ups and legal challenges. Meanwhile, competitors have accelerated their AI search efforts, raising the pressure on Apple to act.

Bloomberg reports that CEO Tim Cook is now fully committed to a larger AI push, telling employees in a recent all-hands meeting that the company’s entry into this space is inevitable:

“Apple must do this. Apple will do this. This is ours to grab. We will make the investment to do it,” Cook said, while drawing parallels to Apple’s past successes.

He noted that Apple rarely enters a product category first—but when it does, it aims to redefine it, pointing to the iPhone, iPad, and iPod as examples.

What We Know So Far

For now, Apple’s most significant AI product remains Apple Intelligence, which can summarize content, compose or rewrite text, generate custom emoji (“Genmoji”), edit images, and soon offer translation features. The rumored answer engine could become a major addition to this lineup, potentially integrating deeply into Apple’s ecosystem across iOS, macOS, and iPadOS.

There’s no public launch timeline yet, but given Apple’s history of arriving late yet making a big impact, the company’s AI search push could reshape the competition—if it delivers on its promise.