There’s going to be a significant shift in how AI works across Apple’s devices, and you’re going to be at its center. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, iOS 27 and its major siblings (iPadOS 27 and macOS 27) will allow users to select from competing third-party AI models to handle tasks across core Apple Intelligence features.
I’d like you to think of it as using your TV’s remote to set the desired channel and watch it, except the remote is iOS 27 and the channels are some of the most popular AI models that you’ve been using elsewhere.
What exactly is Apple changing here?
The feature is internally called “Extensions.” It will let you head into Settings and choose which AI service powers the Apple Intelligence tools on your device. These include Writing Tools (for proofreading and summarizing), Image Playground (for generating stickers, funny images, etc.), and, most importantly, Siri.
It’s like choosing the default search engine or the default app for streaming music. You should be able to select AI models from providers that opt in through their App Store apps. The report mentions that Apple has already conducted test runs with Google and Anthropic, making Gemini and Claude likely early options.
Users will also be able to assign different Siri voices depending on which AI model is handling the backend.
How does this matter for you?
Until now, OpenAI’s ChatGPT has been the only external AI option baked into Apple Intelligence, enjoying exclusive reach across over two billion active devices. However, with multiple AI models on the same device, ChatGPT might lose that position.
The report adds how ChatGPT engagement on Apple devices came short of what both companies anticipated. It also looks like they’re growing apart, as reports that OpenAI is actively poaching Apple engineers for its own hardware plans have been circulating online.
For everyday users, the payoff here is real choice. You’ll actually have control over assigning an AI model to a particular Apple Intelligence tool and use it or change it at your will. In my opinion, Apple’s pivot from AI builder to AI marketplace is a calculated hedge, allowing the company to monetize access to its ecosystem instead of developing its own AI models from scratch.
