Apple is preparing one of the most significant changes yet to its artificial intelligence strategy by allowing users to choose third-party AI models across key features in iOS 27.

The move signals a major departure from the company’s traditionally closed ecosystem and underscores mounting pressure to catch up with rivals in the generative AI race.

According to a Bloomberg News report citing people familiar with the matter, the feature is expected to arrive this fall across iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27. Internally, Apple reportedly refers to the capability as “Extensions,” a system that would let users select which external AI services power functions within Apple Intelligence through the device’s Settings app.

The shift could fundamentally reshape how AI operates across Apple’s ecosystem. Rather than relying solely on Apple-developed models, users may soon be able to choose external providers for tasks such as text generation, image creation, editing, and broader assistant functions.

The report said developers will be able to opt in by adding compatibility through their App Store applications, effectively turning Apple Intelligence into a more modular platform. Apple has reportedly already tested integrations with Google and Anthropic internally.

The development marks a notable philosophical shift for Apple, which historically preferred tightly controlled vertical integration where both hardware and software experiences are designed in-house. By opening its AI layer to outside providers, Apple appears to be acknowledging that the rapid pace of generative AI innovation may make a fully closed strategy difficult to sustain.

The move also pinpoints the growing competitive imbalance that emerged over the past two years as rivals accelerated AI deployment while Apple moved more cautiously. Microsoft embedded AI deeply into Windows, Office, and enterprise software through its partnership with OpenAI, while Google aggressively integrated Gemini across Android, Search, Workspace, and cloud offerings.

Apple, by contrast, has faced criticism from investors and analysts who argued that its AI rollout lagged behind competitors despite its vast ecosystem and premium hardware positioning.

Allowing third-party models could help Apple narrow that gap more quickly without bearing the entire burden of model development itself. The approach would also mirror broader industry trends where operating systems increasingly function as AI orchestration layers connecting users to multiple models depending on task complexity, privacy requirements, or cost.

The reported plan suggests Apple may be positioning itself less as a direct winner-takes-all AI model competitor and more as the gateway through which consumers access multiple AI systems.
That strategy could provide several advantages. First, it may reduce pressure on Apple’s internal AI teams, which have reportedly struggled to match the capabilities of frontier models developed by OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic. Second, it could strengthen Apple’s long-standing services business by giving developers incentives to build AI-compatible applications within the App Store ecosystem. Third, it helps Apple maintain flexibility in a rapidly evolving market where model leadership can shift quickly.

The move may also reinforce Apple’s traditional strength around privacy and device integration. Instead of competing directly on raw model scale, Apple could focus on securely coordinating AI services across its hardware ecosystem while giving users more control over which providers they trust.

Industry analysts increasingly see that approach as pragmatic, given the enormous cost of training cutting-edge large language models. Companies such as Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Amazon are spending tens of billions of dollars annually on AI infrastructure, advanced chips, and data centers.

By opening the ecosystem selectively, Apple could potentially benefit from AI innovation occurring across the broader industry while limiting its own infrastructure exposure.

The report also reinforces expectations that Google’s Gemini will play a central role in Apple’s next-generation Siri overhaul expected later this year. Siri has long been viewed as lagging behind newer AI assistants, particularly in conversational capability and contextual reasoning. A more advanced Siri, powered partly by external AI systems, could become one of Apple’s most important product upgrades in years, especially as smartphones increasingly evolve into AI-first computing platforms.

Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June is now expected to attract heightened attention from investors, developers, and the broader technology industry seeking clearer signals about the company’s long-term AI roadmap.

The company is entering the next phase of the AI race from a position that remains financially strong. Last week, Apple forecast third-quarter sales growth of between 14% and 17%, well above Wall Street expectations of 9.5%, citing strong demand for the iPhone 17 lineup and the MacBook Neo.

Still, investor scrutiny around AI remains intense because many on Wall Street increasingly view artificial intelligence as the next defining platform shift in consumer technology, comparable to the rise of smartphones or cloud computing. Apple’s reported decision to allow outside AI models inside its ecosystem suggests the company recognizes that maintaining leadership in that next era may require greater openness than in the past.