Apple’s painfully slow launch of the new Siri has become such a long-running saga, it seems to have all the makings of a movie – though probably not one we will see launch on Apple TV.

The announcement at the start of this year that it will be powered by Google’s Gemini models finally gave us reason for optimism, and the latest Apple AI news could be an equally important development …

Even the most supportive of Apple commenters reached the end of their patience after Apple advertised new Siri features as if they were imminent way back in 2024 and then had to admit that they very much weren’t. It’s now 2026 and we’re still waiting.

The first piece of good news came at the beginning of this year, when Apple confirmed reports that it was teaming up with Google to use Gemini AI models to power future Siri features.

Google’s Gemini model offers exactly the kind of personalized intelligence long promised by Apple. The big difference was that Google didn’t just have slick promotional videos – the company instead launched a beta version of its Personal Intelligence feature.

Personal Intelligence can retrieve specific details from text, photos, or videos in your Google apps to customize Gemini responses. This includes Google Workspace (Gmail, Calendar, Drive, etc), Google Photos, your YouTube watch history, and of all of the various Google search services you’ve used (Search, Shopping, News, Maps, Google Flights, and Hotels). The Apple version will of course pull information from Apple apps like Mail, Calendar, Photos, and Notes.

Moving from Apple’s vaporware to demonstrable services was a huge step along the way to actually delivering the new Siri.

A Bloomberg report last month said that Siri would be able to integrate with other third-party AI chatbot apps, and a follow-up yesterday provided more detail.

This will let iPhone users choose from multiple third-party models from companies like Google and Anthropic, including the ability to set custom voices in Siri depending on which external model is responding […]

For example, Google and Anthropic could add support for this Extensions system to the Gemini and Claude apps, respectively. Then, users could choose to use those models to power features like Siri, Writing Tools, and more.

That’s great news for three reasons.

First and most obviously, we are not dependent on the progress made by Apple Intelligence. The Cupertino company may or may not eventually seek to power all of its AI features using in-house models, but either way we don’t have to wait for that to happen.

Second, many of us have our own personal preferences for AI chatbots, and have built up a history with those, which serves as context for further interactions. My current preferred AI app, for example, is Claude, and I’ve been sufficiently impressed with it to recently convert my monthly subscription to an annual one.

Sure, it suffers from all of the generic AI chatbot problems I know half a dozen commenters are furiously writing about after reading no further than the above paragraph. I always verify claimed facts by checking out the source links it provides, but I find it really helpful for things like brainstorming ideas.

Third, competition between AI chatbots is one of the main things driving improvements to them. Each time one of the players introduces a new model, that spurs on the others to catch up with – and ideally overtake – the new capabilities introduced. Having the flexibility to choose our model at will across competing providers is ideal.

Yes, if Apple does ever launch its own AI models which are competitive with those offered by the current leading players, then I will likely choose to use those. The company ought to be able to integrate more deeply with its own apps and services, and I trust its privacy promises more than those of the other players. But I will be very happy to have the choice.

What’s your view? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

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