Apple will let users choose different AI models to power the new Apple Intelligence features on its devices, instead of just offering one default option. This news comes from a report by Bloomberg.
Allowing users to pick from various third-party models is a big change from Apple’s usual way of tightly controlling user experiences. This approach is more like how Android and other operating systems work, rather than Apple’s typically strict App Store choices.
These options, called Extensions, will arrive this fall with iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27. The Extensions will let users choose AI models for tasks like writing, generating images, and even voice conversations. Instead of one AI assistant handling every request, the system could send different questions to different providers based on what a user prefers. This is part of Apple’s larger plan for updated AI features, which include new tools for Photos and a completely redesigned Siri.
Apple has reportedly already tested integrating systems from Google and Anthropic. These partnerships would exist alongside Apple’s own models, which will still run features built directly into the device. No single company is best at every type of AI, and this plan quietly acknowledges that. Allowing outside models into its ecosystem means Apple can offer more advanced AI tools without having to build every single one itself. This is something the company has struggled to do as quickly as its new partners.
This strategy helps Apple keep up with the fast pace of AI developments across the industry while still controlling how those tools are presented. For the AI companies, Apple’s ecosystem offers a massive audience that is hard to find elsewhere. Even a small integration could bring many users to alternative AI models, increasing competition in the field.
The ability to choose different AI models will likely appeal to those who want some flexibility in their AI options. On the other hand, some people like Apple because the company suggests that all its features are hand-picked to give you the best option automatically. This new approach might remove some of the simple, streamlined feeling of Apple’s operating systems, which is a major draw for some customers.
Notably, Apple’s plan means that OpenAI, whose ChatGPT currently serves as the main outside AI option for Apple devices, will lose its exclusive position. That exclusivity has been very valuable for OpenAI, but the new strategy means ChatGPT will simply be one choice among many.
Apple’s reduced control means users might not be able to assume that everything the AI tools produce has been approved by the company. Apple will need to make it clear that it is not responsible for content generated by third-party AI models, even as it directs users to compatible AI apps in the App Store.
Many companies follow Apple’s lead in design decisions. This move suggests that in the current stage of AI, control might be less important than access. By making its devices a place where different models can exist together, Apple is betting that flexibility will be more valuable than exclusivity.
