Apple is working on a new in-house generative AI search product, internally named World Knowledge Answers (WKA). The feature will debut through Siri and aims to compete directly with ChatGPT and Perplexity.
WKA will roll out as part of a major Siri update scheduled for March 2026. At first, you will likely access it through Siri rather than Safari or Spotlight, but Apple plans to expand it into its broader ecosystem later. If the timeline holds, the speed of development is striking, given that the project only began a few months ago.
Siri’s Future
The push for WKA comes as Apple continues its larger AI strategy under the “Apple Intelligence” umbrella. The company has faced criticism for Siri’s limitations, yet it is pressing forward to make its assistant a central hub for search, information retrieval, and device control. This new answer engine represents a clear attempt to redefine Siri’s role and compete head-on with other AI platforms.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in his Power On newsletter, WKA is being built into Siri as part of Apple’s 2026 update. The feature may eventually integrate with Safari and Spotlight, broadening its reach across iPhones and Macs. Gurman also reported that while Apple has developed its own AI models, the company is still evaluating external partnerships, including with Google’s Gemini and Anthropic.
Another report from Bloomberg highlights that Apple is still running internal tests to decide whether Siri will ultimately rely on in-house models or outside providers. The outcome will not change the planned March launch of WKA, but it could determine how scalable the platform becomes and how well it performs against competitors.
Apple’s efforts extend beyond the US. The company continues to negotiate with Alibaba and Baidu to bring Apple Intelligence features, including Siri and WKA, to China. Regulatory challenges remain, but Apple views the market as too important to ignore.
