Apple Goes Chatbot Agnostic in New AI Strategy

Bloomberg Technology
Bloomberg TechnologyMar 27, 2026

Why It Matters

Apple’s chatbot‑agnostic platform creates a new services revenue stream and safeguards its hardware advantage amid an escalating AI talent war.

Key Takeaways

  • Apple adopts chatbot‑agnostic approach, integrating any AI service
  • New App Store section will earn Apple 30% revenue share
  • Apple upgrades Siri, adding keyboard access and dedicated app
  • Incentive packages aim to retain iPhone hardware design talent
  • OpenAI poaches Apple engineers, intensifying AI talent competition

Summary

Apple announced a chatbot‑agnostic AI strategy, promising to let any third‑party conversational model run on iPhone 17 Pro and future devices. The move signals a pivot from building its own assistant to becoming a universal AI platform.

The company will launch a dedicated App Store category for AI chat services, taking the standard 30% commission on subscriptions and higher‑tier plans. At the same time Apple is revamping Siri with a standalone app and keyboard shortcut, while rebuilding its underlying models using Google‑sourced Gemini technology.

Internally, Apple is countering talent raids by OpenAI with one‑time bonuses, RSUs and four‑year vesting for the iPhone hardware design team. Executives note that OpenAI has already hired dozens of Apple engineers, including former Apple hardware leads, intensifying the competition for elite chip and device talent.

The strategy could lock developers into Apple’s ecosystem, generate a steady services revenue stream, and protect its hardware leadership, while the talent incentives aim to keep the engineering edge that rivals like OpenAI are eager to acquire.

Original Description

Apple plans to open Siri to outside artificial intelligence assistants, a major move aimed at bolstering the iPhone as an AI platform. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman discusses what’s driving the move with Ed Ludlow on “Bloomberg Tech.”
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