Apple CEO Tim Cook has revealed that the company plans to integrate more third-party artificial intelligence (AI) tools into its ecosystem, expanding the capabilities of Apple Intelligence across its devices. Speaking in an interview with CNBC, Cook said, “Our intention is to integrate with more people over time,” indicating that Apple’s partnership strategy will go beyond its existing collaboration with OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Reports suggest that Apple is also working on adding support for Google’s Gemini, while further collaborations with Anthropic and Perplexity are rumoured to be in discussion.
Expanding third-party AI collaborations
Apple has already embedded ChatGPT within Siri as part of its ongoing AI rollout. Earlier comments by Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, hinted at broader third-party collaborations, noting that the company “may look forward to doing integrations with different models like Google Gemini in the future.”
Cook confirmed that development on an AI-upgraded version of Siri is progressing well and is expected to launch next year. “We are making good progress,” he said during Apple’s latest earnings call, reiterating that partnerships and acquisitions remain key to Apple’s AI strategy. “We are open to pursuing M&A [mergers and acquisitions] if we think that it will advance our roadmap,” he added, echoing earlier remarks made in July.
Apple’s renewed focus on artificial intelligence marks a major step in its effort to compete with rivals such as Google and Microsoft, both of which have rapidly advanced in AI innovation and integration.
Record-breaking financial results amid AI ambitions
The announcement coincided with Apple’s fourth-quarter earnings report, revealing a record-breaking revenue of US$102.5 billion — an 8% increase from the same quarter last year. Despite strong financial results, Apple’s AI-driven upgrades have yet to materialise across its products fully.
Bloomberg recently reported that Apple is considering a deeper partnership with Google to create an AI-powered search tool for Siri. Google CEO Sundar Pichai has previously confirmed that Gemini support for the iPhone is already in development, further indicating close collaboration between the two tech giants.
While Apple launched the iPhone 17 lineup last month, much of the excitement has centred on what its AI advancements might bring. The new models include the ultra-thin iPhone Air, the standard iPhone 17, and the iPhone 17 Pro. Apple also introduced premium features such as an always-on display and ProMotion support — previously limited to the Pro range — to its entry-level model this year.
Strong performance across product lines
Apple’s hardware and services divisions continue to show strong growth. iPhone sales contributed US$49.03 billion to total revenue, while Mac revenue rose to US$8.72 billion. iPad sales reached US$6.95 billion, supported by the recent launch of a refreshed iPad Pro featuring the latest M5 chip.
The company’s services segment — which includes Apple TV, Apple Music, Apple Fitness Plus, and Apple Arcade — grew to US$28.8 billion, underscoring the growing importance of subscription-based offerings in Apple’s business model.
In addition to the updated iPad Pro and MacBook Pro, Apple recently introduced an upgraded Vision Pro headset with enhanced specifications. Industry reports suggest that a more affordable iPhone 17e is also in the pipeline for release next year, potentially widening Apple’s reach in the smartphone market.
As Apple continues to invest in AI development and third-party integrations, the coming year could mark a turning point for its software ecosystem, blending innovation, intelligence, and accessibility across all devices.
