Originally published on Skila AI
Apple is about to hand the keys to Siri to seven different AI companies. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported on March 26 that iOS 27 will introduce an "Extensions" system letting users swap ChatGPT for Claude, Gemini, Copilot, Grok, Perplexity, Alexa, or Meta AI — directly inside Siri. The announcement is expected at WWDC on June 8, 2026.
If you've been stuck with ChatGPT as your only option when Siri hits its limits, that era ends this summer. And the implications for Anthropic, Google, and every AI company fighting for distribution are massive.
How Siri Extensions Actually Work
The current Siri-ChatGPT integration is a one-way street. When Siri can't handle a request, it offers to pass your query to ChatGPT. You say yes, ChatGPT answers. No choice, no alternatives.
iOS 27 flips this model entirely. Instead of Apple cutting individual deals with AI providers, the new Extensions system works more like a marketplace. Any AI chatbot developer can build an Extension that plugs into Siri.
Here's the actual user flow: Go to Settings > Apple Intelligence > Extensions. You'll see a curated App Store section listing available AI chatbot apps. Install the ones you want — Claude, Gemini, Copilot, whatever. When Siri encounters a request it can't handle natively, you choose which installed Extension processes it.
That last part is critical: you choose at the point of asking, not in a settings menu buried six screens deep.
The Money Move Apple Doesn't Want You to Focus On
Apple collects up to 30% commission on App Store subscriptions. ChatGPT Plus costs $20/month. Claude Pro costs $20/month. Gemini Advanced costs $19.99/month.
Now multiply that across 2 billion active Apple devices. If even 5% of iPhone users subscribe to a third-party AI through Siri Extensions, Apple pockets somewhere between $1.8 billion and $3.6 billion annually in commission revenue — without building any AI models.
This is classic Apple strategy. They don't need to win the AI race. They just need to own the distribution layer.
Winners and Losers
Biggest winner: Anthropic. Claude has struggled with consumer distribution. Most people discover it through word of mouth or developer communities. Being one Siri Extension install away from 2 billion devices changes the math completely.
Second winner: Perplexity. The AI search engine has been growing fast but still fights for every user. Siri Extensions give it a native integration point that makes its search-first approach feel natural for voice queries.
Biggest loser: OpenAI (relatively). ChatGPT loses its exclusive position as Siri's only AI fallback. Will most users bother changing? Probably not initially. But ChatGPT goes from "the only option" to "one of seven options." That's a very different brand position.
Wild card: xAI's Grok. Grok on Siri means X/Twitter's AI reaches beyond its own ecosystem for the first time.
The Google Dual Position
Here's where most coverage gets it wrong. Apple has two separate arrangements with Google:
- Gemini powers Siri's core — Earlier this year, Apple struck a deal for Google's Gemini models to rebuild the underlying technology powering Siri itself. This is not affected by Extensions.
- Gemini as a Siri Extension — Separately, Google can offer the Gemini app as an Extension that users install and choose when Siri defers to a third-party chatbot.
So Google is simultaneously inside Siri (powering the engine) and alongside Siri (as an optional Extension). That's a uniquely powerful position no other AI company holds.
Key Takeaways
- iOS 27 Extensions let users choose Claude, Gemini, Copilot, Grok, Perplexity, Alexa, or Meta AI for AI-assisted Siri queries
- Apple collects up to 30% commission on every AI subscription through the App Store — potentially billions in new annual revenue
- Google holds a dual position: powers Siri's core AND exists as a separate installable Extension
- Anthropic gains the consumer distribution it has been missing — 2 billion Apple devices, one install away
- WWDC June 8 will define Extension developer requirements
Apple doesn't need to build the best AI. It just needs to be the platform where you choose which AI to use. iOS 27 is that strategy applied to artificial intelligence — and every AI company from Anthropic to xAI just became an Apple App Store tenant.
Read the full analysis: news.skila.ai
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