Apple Inc. (AAPL.US) will open up third-party AI model selection in iOS 27, Alphabet Inc. Class C, Anthropic are expected to enter the market, and ChatGPT may lose its exclusive position.

According to informed sources, Apple Inc. (AAPL.US) is planning to allow users in its software functions in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 systems to independently select models from multiple external artificial intelligence service providers for tasks such as text and image generation and editing. This move marks Apple Inc.'s continued push to make its devices a comprehensive AI platform. In March of this year, Apple Inc. took a similar approach with Siri, allowing users to replace ChatGPT with other external chat Siasun Robot &Automation as the default option in the voice assistant. The "Apple Intelligence" platform launched by Apple Inc. in 2024 currently only offers ChatGPT as a third-party option in functions such as Siri, writing tools, and Image Playground. The core strategy of Apple Inc. is not to build the top AI software and services on its own, but to allow users to conveniently access a variety of AI options on its devices, thereby gaining a differentiated advantage in the artificial intelligence market. Sources said that the iOS update will allow users to select from AI model providers who have added support in apps available in the App Store. As of now, Apple Inc. has integrated with at least two companies in internal testing, Alphabet Inc. Class C parent company Alphabet Inc. and artificial intelligence company Anthropic PBC. Apple Inc. has previously collaborated with Alphabet Inc. Class C to improve the underlying models that support Siri, and has worked with Anthropic to support internal AI infrastructure and product development. An Apple Inc. spokesperson based in Cupertino, California declined to comment. Within iOS 27, Apple Inc. refers to this feature as "Extensions". Users can choose the AI service they wish to drive Apple Intelligence functionality through the "Settings" app. Messages displayed in the beta software state, "Extensions allow you to access generative AI abilities from installed apps on demand through Apple Intelligence features such as Siri, writing tools, and Image Playground." Apple Inc. also plans to inform users that they are not responsible for the content generated by third-party models. The company will establish a dedicated area in the App Store to showcase compatible AI apps, but will continue to provide its own in-house models. This shift will give users more flexibility and benefit partners such as Alphabet Inc. Class C and Anthropic. However, for OpenAI, this change represents a potential setback. So far, OpenAI has had an exclusive partnership on Apple Inc.'s platform with over 2 billion devices. The integration of ChatGPT, launched in 2024, was highly anticipated, but its usage has been lower than expected by Apple Inc. and OpenAI. The conflict between the two companies in the hardware field is also deepening - OpenAI is actively poaching engineers from Apple Inc. to build its own AI devices. Another enhanced feature will allow users to choose different voices for Siri dialogues driven by external models. Queries processed by Apple Inc.'s own system can use one voice, while responses from third-party models (such as Claude from Anthropic) can use another voice. As part of the operating system update, Apple Inc. will also launch an upgraded version of Siri, including a standalone Siri app. Other changes include adding Siri mode in the camera app, new AI editing tools for photos, and the ability to create custom credentials in the wallet app.