Apple has quietly developed an internal ChatGPT-style app to prepare for a major Siri overhaul expected next year. The tool, code-named Veritas, is being used by Apple’s AI teams to test new features before they are integrated into the voice assistant.
According to Bloomberg, Veritas allows Apple engineers to evaluate how the revamped Siri handles advanced tasks such as searching personal data, summarizing information from the internet, and performing in-app actions like editing photos. Unlike third-party chatbot apps, Veritas is not intended for public release but instead helps Apple employees provide feedback on whether a chatbot interface could improve Siri’s usability.
The app resembles popular AI chatbots by letting testers manage multiple conversations, save chats, and carry on longer back-and-forth exchanges. It is built on Apple’s new Linwood system, which combines its in-house Foundation Models with a third-party large language model. Apple has also explored external partnerships, holding talks with OpenAI and Anthropic before recently ramping up discussions with Google about using its Gemini platform.
Apple had originally planned to launch the Siri overhaul earlier this year but delayed it after engineering failures caused features to break in up to one-third of tests. The new target release window is as early as March 2026. If successful, the update could reshape perceptions of Apple’s AI capabilities at a time when competition from Google and Samsung is intensifying.
The internal testing effort comes amid leadership changes. Robby Walker, who previously oversaw Siri before delays shifted his role, will depart Apple in October. His new Answers, Knowledge, and Information (AKI) team is now focused on AI-powered search within Siri. At the same time, AI chief John Giannandrea and deputies have been sidelined, with Craig Federighi and other executives taking on larger roles in Apple’s AI strategy.
Beyond Siri, Apple is also preparing a redesigned assistant interface for late 2026, while expanding AI across HomePod, Apple TV, and smart home devices. The company is exploring AI-driven search as well. Apple CEO Tim Cook has emphasized the importance of AI, telling staff it represents the “biggest transformation in decades” and stressing that Apple “must win in AI.”
Even though Apple is not positioning Veritas as a consumer app, the project underscores how seriously it is taking its next phase of artificial intelligence. With iPhone 17 avoiding any major AI announcements, the upcoming Siri upgrade could prove pivotal in reestablishing Apple’s role in the AI race.
