Apple to Launch AI-Powered Web Search Engine, Reports Say

Apple plans to launch an AI-powered web search engine integrated with Siri.

Apple is reportedly planning to launch its own web search engine powered by artificial intelligence, integrating it into the Siri voice assistant, according to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, citing sources.

The internal name for this new solution is World Knowledge Answers. According to the journalist, the technology will be embedded in the Safari browser and the Spotlight service, used for searches from the iPhone’s main screen.

The launch is scheduled for March 2026 as part of the repeatedly delayed Siri update.

The initiative aims to make Apple’s voice assistant and operating systems a place where users can search for information on the internet.

The foundation for the future technology may be borrowed from Google. Gurman reports that the companies have reached an agreement whereby Apple will evaluate the search giant’s AI model for future integration.

Apple’s new search engine will include an interface supporting text, photos, and videos. An AI-based summary system will also be introduced.

Siri Update

The Siri voice AI assistant was groundbreaking in 2011, but it has recently reflected Apple’s broader struggles in AI. As part of a long-promised redesign, the assistant will be able to use personal data and on-screen content to provide better answers.

Siri will also more accurately control the device using voice prompts.

“The work we have done on the end-to-end update of Siri has given us the results we needed. This has put us in a position where we can not only deliver what we announced but also offer a much more extensive upgrade,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s head of software engineering and curator of Siri strategy, during a meeting with employees.

Several teams are working on the search initiative, including:

• the Siri group led by Federighi;
• the AI division headed by John Giannandrea;
• the services division under Eddy Cue.

Vision Pro headset creator Mike Rockwell is part of Federighi’s team, while former Siri head Robbie Walker plays a key role in Giannandrea’s project.

Apple intends to use the same search system for the “world knowledge” feature and the previously announced but delayed capability to search across the user’s device. The latter tool will allow faster searches for specific images, files, and other types of information.

While the basic scenario involves integrating the new search engine into existing services, an alternative option of creating a standalone chatbot-style application is being considered.

The new changes in Siri and search are planned to be included in a software update internally known as Luck E. This is version iOS 26.4, expected to be released in March.

The first version of iOS 26 will appear in September 2025 alongside the release of the new iPhone 17. The announcement is scheduled for next week.

Loss of Staff

Apple is facing a wave of staff departures. The Foundation Models team—a group of several dozen scientists, researchers, and engineers—has been losing members for several weeks.

In early July, the founder and head of the division, Zhuomin Pang, left for Meta, receiving a compensation package worth over $200 million. Since then, about 10 team members have left Apple, with most following Pang to Facebook’s parent company.

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

Back in August, during a meeting with employees, Apple CEO Tim Cook stated that the company “must” win in the AI field.