For more than 15 years, Siri has been the iPhone’s voice. But now leaks are coming that, for Apple, iOS 27 (due in 2027) could be the most consequential game changer in the history of the company: the complete replacement of Siri with an enhanced LLM (Large Language Model) based on OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini.
The Move Toward “Agentic AI.”
And, by launching “Apple Intelligence,” released in 2024, the Siri voice assistant failed to match the flow of conversation and intuitive capability with which self-contained machines produce meaningful results. Analysts speculate that Apple CEO Tim Cook is directing the company toward a "System-Wide AI Agent," not just another voice-activated shortcut.
By the time iOS 27 does come on launch, Apple might decide that it doesn’t have the effort to build a fundamental model for high-quality logic and will “outsource” the core intelligence of the iPhone to giants with deep pockets.
How: ChatGPT vs. Gemini
Apple is said to be trialing two different routes for iOS 27 integration:
The OpenAI Path (ChatGPT): Continuing with established collaboration built in iOS 18, Apple could expand the integration, leading to ChatGPT eventually becoming the OS-level default companion. The result could be sophisticated multi-app automation — "Send an email based on my last three Slack messages and schedule a meeting Tuesday."
The Google Path (Gemini): Despite being in a competitive battle with one another, Apple and Google have been in “active negotiations” for years about AI. Gemini’s competency in multimodal processing (understanding video and images in real time using the iPhone camera) gives it a natural draw when exploring future applications of Apple’s AR/VR platform.
Privacy: The “Black Box” Exercise. Apple’s strong commitment to user privacy is also the biggest obstacle to this transition. Apple would need to know a lot of things if it wanted to replace Siri with some third-party AI:
Private Cloud Compute (PCC): Data going to ChatGPT or Gemini servers is anonymized and never stored.
On Device Processing: 80 percent of AI requests will be processed locally using the A20 Bionic chip (expected to be released in 2027) without ever touching the cloud.
What Happens to Siri?
If these stories are true, the “Siri” brand could not entirely disappear but become the “interface” for these newer engines. Even users would still think “Hey Siri," but the “brain” who responds would be GPT-6 or Gemini 3.0 Ultra.
Why iOS 27?
The 2027 release date is strategic. It gives Apple’s silicon team ample time to work on NPU (Neural Processing Unit) hardware that can run massive models at zero latency. This also considers an important anniversary for the iPhone and why this is the year for a "re-invention" of the user experience.
