Apple executives are keeping silent about future Apple Intelligence plans, but a new rumor suggests the 2026 release of contextual Siri is just the start on a road to chatbots and always-on assistants.
It’s been a tough year for Apple’s public image as it overpromised on AI features and has been seen as perpetually behind in the AI race — even though it insists it isn’t. The Apple Intelligence delays have resulted in product delays too, as the rumored Home Hub will have to wait for a better Siri.
However, these delays and setbacks haven’t affected Apple’s initiative to improve its AI offerings. According to Bloomberg, there are several plans for the future of Apple Intelligence, though it seems there are internal arguments around how and when they will be ready.
We’ve already seen some of that contention publicly, as Apple SVP of marketing Greg Joswiak shared that Apple Intelligence wasn’t meant to be a chatbot with a destination app. However, rumors indicate that Apple is indeed working on some kind of chatbot that may even be Siri.
The report lays out three projects that Apple is targeting for the future.
A more contextual Siri
The first one is known, a more contextual Siri that uses app intents to surface user data. This was meant to be a feature in iOS 18, but was delayed into “the coming year” by Apple.
The report suggests that it will arrive in early 2026, which was previously rumored to be the target of an LLM-based Siri upgrade. Now it seems Apple has tied the two features together due to needing to work around too many legacy portions of Siri today.
So, the new LLM-based Siri is expected in early 2026, which will also enable the app intent system for contextual and proactive actions.
Apple doesn’t offer a chatbot today
A Knowledge chatbot
Once Siri is fully rebuilt as an LLM-backed assistant, the company could debut a chatbot dubbed “Knowledge.” It isn’t clear from the report if this app is tied to Siri or if it’s another branch of Apple Intelligence.
The Knowledge app would be used to access information gleaned from the web. It sounds familiar to internal tests AppleInsider uncovered previously for Apple’s Ajax and Ask agents some dubbed “AppleGPT.”
There’s a solid chance that Apple is working on a chatbot, though there’s no guarantee it’ll ever be released. Clearly, Joswiak is against the idea, as he wants Apple Intelligence to be a behind-the-scenes system, not an app you open.
The Knowledge chatbot is reportedly being headed by former Siri chief Robby Walker.
Siri copilot
The third and final AI initiative mentioned in the report is yet another Siri revamp that would take it beyond simply being proactive and contextual. The new Siri would essentially be an always-on copilot that’s more conversational.
An always-on AI within iPhone could be a killer feature
There’s no telling exactly what that means, but it sounds something like the Workout Buddy introduced in watchOS 26. The new Siri could operate in the background and announce updates or perform tasks without needing user input.
It also sounds similar to what other AI companies have tried, and failed repeatedly to build. Humane, Rabbit R1, and now Jony Ive’s io have all dreamed up a world where users will just have an AI assistant around doing stuff for them.
Apple, however, has something those other companies don’t — the iPhone.
Whether or not Apple is truly behind or running its own race, it’s clear that it is trying to find a way to embrace the emergence of LLMs and AI in its own way. As Apple’s executives keep saying in interviews, it is early days for the AI technology push and they are playing the long game.
As we’ve seen with Apple many times before, it’s best not to bet against their ability to enter a new market and succeed. For now, we’ll have to continue to live with the generally useful, if boring, AI tools already available in Apple products.
This story originally appeared on Appleinsider
