Apple интегрирует ИИ-поиск в Siri для трансформации веб-освещения Translation: Apple integrates AI search into Siri for transforming web illumination.

Apple is set to introduce its own AI-based web search engine, which will be integrated into the voice assistant Siri, according to Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, citing sources.

The internal code name for this new solution is World Knowledge Answers. As reported by the journalist, the technology will be incorporated into the Safari browser and the Spotlight feature used for searching from the iPhone’s home screen.

The launch is anticipated for March 2026, as part of a frequently delayed update for Siri.

The goal of this initiative is to transform the voice assistant and Apple’s operating systems into platforms where users can effectively search for information online.

The foundational technology may be adapted from Google. Gurman notes that the companies have reached an agreement allowing Apple to evaluate the search giant’s AI model for potential integration in the future.

Apple’s new search engine will feature an interface supporting text, images, and videos, along with an AI-based summarization system.

Siri, which revolutionized voice AI assistance in 2011, has been reflecting Apple’s struggles in AI lately. With a long-promised redesign, the assistant will utilize personal data and on-screen content to provide improved responses.

Siri will also have enhanced control over devices through voice prompts.

«The work we’ve done on the comprehensive Siri update has yielded the necessary results. This has positioned us to not only deliver what we’ve announced but also to offer a far more extensive upgrade,» stated Craig Federighi, Apple’s head of software engineering and the strategist for Siri, during an employee meeting.

Multiple teams are involved in the search initiative, including:

Mike Rockwell, creator of the Vision Pro headset, is working with Federighi’s team, while former Siri head Robbie Walker plays a crucial role in the project with John Giannandrea.

Apple aims to utilize the same search system for the «world knowledge» feature and the already announced yet delayed functionality for searching across user devices. The latter will facilitate quicker access to specific images, files, and other types of information.

While the primary plan is to integrate the new search engine into existing services, an alternative option for developing a standalone chatbot-style application is being considered.

The upcoming updates to Siri and search functions are expected to be included in a software release known internally as Luck E, which is version iOS 26.4, slated for release in March.

The first iteration of iOS 26 will debut in September 2025 alongside the launch of the new iPhone 17, with an announcement scheduled for next week.

Apple is facing a wave of employee attrition. The Foundation Models team—a group comprising dozens of scientists, researchers, and engineers—has been experiencing staff departures for several weeks.

At the beginning of July, the founder and leader of the division, Zhuomin Pang, left for Meta, receiving a compensation package exceeding $200 million. Since then, about ten team members have departed Apple, with most following Pang to the parent company of Facebook.

Last week, three more key AI researchers left: John Peebles and Nan Du began working at OpenAI, while Meng Zhao joined Anthropic. Several employees are actively interviewing with other companies.

It’s worth noting that in August, during a meeting with employees, Apple CEO Tim Cook stated that the company is «committed» to winning in the AI sector.