Apple has developed an internal ChatGPT-style iPhone app, code-named Veritas (Latin for “truth”), to test and refine a major overhaul of its Siri voice assistant, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The app is intended for internal use only, with no current plans for a public release.
Veritas and Siri Testing
The Veritas app allows Apple employees to quickly evaluate new Siri features, including searching personal data such as emails and songs, performing in-app actions like editing photos, and managing extended conversations. It saves past chats, follows up on earlier queries, and functions as a testable chatbot for the upcoming Siri technology.
The system behind the app, code-named Linwood, uses large language models, combining Apple’s internal Foundation Models with a third-party AI model. Veritas provides a platform for gathering feedback on the usefulness of the chatbot format and the functionality of the new Siri.
Apple’s AI Strategy
Apple CEO Tim Cook has emphasized AI as a major focus, calling it “the biggest transformation in decades” and stating, “This is sort of ours to grab. We will make the investment to do it.”
Beyond Siri, Apple is developing AI enhancements for HomePod, Apple TV, and AI-based web search. Earlier discussions included potential collaborations with OpenAI, Anthropic’s Claude, and more recently, Google’s Gemini platform.
Strategic Context
The Siri overhaul has faced multiple delays, originally scheduled for last spring. Engineering issues caused some features to fail up to a third of the time. These delays prompted management changes, including the departure of AI chief John Giannandrea and Siri overseer Robby Walker, who will leave Apple in October. Walker had previously launched the Answers, Knowledge, and Information (AKI) team, now central to AI-based search in the updated Siri.
Capabilities of the New Siri
The upgraded Siri will allow users to act on information displayed on-screen, navigate devices more efficiently, and access AI-driven search features within the assistant. Veritas enables testers to summarize information from the internet and interact with multiple topics across conversations.
The new Siri is now expected to launch as early as March next year. Success could mark a significant AI comeback for Apple, while failure may allow rivals such as Google and Samsung to gain an advantage.
Outlook
Veritas remains an internal tool, but signals a major step in Apple’s AI plans. The company aims to integrate ChatGPT-style capabilities within Siri while maintaining control over the user experience, refining AI-driven tasks, and expanding the assistant’s functionality across Apple devices.