Apple builds AI 'answer engine,' challenging Google's search reign

In a significant strategic shift that could reshape the digital landscape, Apple is developing its own AI-powered search engine, a move that signals a departure from its previous reluctance to enter the chatbot arena and sets the stage for a potential clash with longtime partner Google. For years, Apple has been quietly laying the groundwork for a more independent search future, and recent developments, including the formation of a dedicated internal team, suggest these efforts are accelerating. This initiative, born from a growing realization within the company of the transformative power of generative AI, aims to create a deeply integrated, privacy-focused search experience across Apple's vast ecosystem of devices and services. The project represents a fundamental rethinking of how users find information, moving beyond a list of blue links to a more direct, conversational "answer engine."

The core of this ambitious undertaking is being driven by an internal team known as AKI, which stands for Answers, Knowledge, and Information.[1][2][3] This group, operating under Apple's AI chief John Giannandrea and led by senior director Robby Walker, is tasked with building a new backend infrastructure to power search capabilities within future versions of Siri, Spotlight, and Safari.[1][4] The goal is to create a web-crawling system capable of delivering accurate, conversational responses to general knowledge queries, similar to the functionality of platforms like ChatGPT.[1][2][4] The company is reportedly exploring the creation of a standalone app for this new search experience.[5] To fuel this development, Apple has been actively hiring engineers with expertise in search algorithms and engine development in both the U.S. and China.[5][3] This internal push follows a period where some executives within Apple's software and marketing divisions reportedly believed there was limited consumer interest in chatbots, a view that has clearly evolved as AI-powered search has become a dominant force in the tech industry.[1][4]

Apple's journey toward its own search solution has been a gradual one. For years, the company has operated its own web crawler, known as Applebot, which gathers data to power existing search features in Spotlight, Siri, and Safari.[6][7][8][9][10] Applebot functions much like Google's own web crawler, indexing web content to provide suggestions and results.[7][10] More recently, Apple introduced an additional user agent, Applebot-Extended, which gives website owners the ability to opt out of having their content used to train Apple's generative AI models.[8][10] The existing Spotlight search on Apple devices already provides a glimpse into the company's philosophy, offering a universal search that queries not just the web, but also local files, apps, and personal data on a user's device.[11] However, the new "answer engine" project aims to go far beyond these existing capabilities, creating a direct competitor to the AI-driven search experiences offered by Google and others.

This strategic pivot is unfolding against the backdrop of Apple's broader, multi-faceted AI strategy, branded as "Apple Intelligence."[12][13] Unveiled at its Worldwide Developers Conference, this strategy is built on three main pillars: on-device intelligence, deep ecosystem integration, and a staunch commitment to user privacy.[12] Apple is leveraging a hybrid architecture that combines a powerful on-device model with encrypted cloud processing through a "Private Cloud Compute" system, which runs on Apple's own custom silicon to ensure data is not exposed.[12][13] This allows for features like advanced text summarization, image generation with a tool called Image Playground, and the creation of "Genmoji" without compromising user data.[12][13][14] Recognizing its own limitations in the large-scale, cloud-based AI race, Apple has also forged a key partnership with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into its operating systems.[15][13][16] This integration allows Siri to pass on more complex queries to ChatGPT with user consent, providing a bridge to more powerful AI capabilities while Apple builds out its own infrastructure.[1][13] The company has also reportedly held talks with other AI leaders like Google and Anthropic, signaling an open approach to collaboration.[15][17]

The development of an in-house AI search engine carries profound implications, most notably for Apple's long and lucrative partnership with Google. Google pays Apple an estimated $20 billion annually to be the default search engine on Apple devices, a sum that is a significant contributor to Apple's growing Services division.[1][18] This financial relationship is currently under scrutiny by the U.S. Department of Justice, which could potentially force an end to the deal.[1] Apple Services chief Eddy Cue has acknowledged that AI-driven search is the future and that searches on Safari have already seen a dip, which he attributes to users turning to AI tools.[1][19] A move away from Google, while financially risky in the short term, would give Apple complete control over the user search experience, aligning with its core strategy of vertical integration and privacy.[12] It would allow the company to offer a search product free from the extensive data tracking inherent in Google's ad-based model, a powerful differentiator for the privacy-conscious consumer. This venture is a clear signal that Apple is no longer content to play catch-up in the AI race but is preparing to redefine a fundamental component of the digital experience for its more than two billion active devices.