Apple iOS 27 'Extensions' Will Let Third-Party AI Chatbots Plug Into Siri

Apple is preparing to open Siri to rival AI chatbots beyond OpenAI's ChatGPT, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The upcoming iOS 27 Extensions feature could effectively create an "AI App Store" for Siri integrations.

What We Know

• Third-party chatbots like Google Gemini and Anthropic's Claude will be able to provide responses through Siri
• Extensions will have a dedicated section in the App Store
• The feature will work across iPhone, iPad, and Mac
• Apple is also reportedly building a standalone Siri app with the ability to take actions across apps

Strategic Context

This move follows several setbacks in Apple's AI strategy:

1. John Giannandrea stepped down as AI chief
2. Apple Intelligence hasn't launched in China — a major market gap
3. China partnership with Alibaba announced for powering iPhone AI features
4. Google Gemini deal also includes model distillation capabilities for Apple

Timeline

Apple is expected to reveal iOS 27 at WWDC 2026, kicking off June 8th.

Analysis

The Extensions approach is strategically brilliant for Apple:

• Avoids picking winners: Instead of betting on one AI provider, Apple lets users choose
• Creates an ecosystem: An AI App Store gives Apple a cut of third-party AI subscriptions
• Reduces regulatory risk: Multiple AI partners dilutes antitrust concerns
• Addresses the China problem: A modular system makes it easier to swap in region-specific providers (Alibaba in China, OpenAI/Gemini elsewhere)

This is Apple at its classic best — not building the best AI, but building the best platform for AI. If executed well, Siri Extensions could be to AI assistants what the App Store was to mobile apps in 2008.