Apple’s decision to integrate ChatGPT into Siri wasn’t as smooth as it may have looked from the outside. In fact, it stirred up a debate behind closed doors, especially among Apple’s AI leaders.
According to a recent Bloomberg report, John Giannandrea, the former head of Siri at Apple, wanted Gemini.
He expressed strong opinions in favor of Gemini, believing that the chatbot was a better fit for Apple’s long-term goals.
So why did Apple go with ChatGPT anyway?
Why Giannandrea Backed Gemini
John Giannandrea had spent years at Google contributing to its growth. When he joined Apple, many expected more capabilities from Siri.
But when Apple started looking for a chatbot to partner with, Giannandrea reportedly didn’t trust ChatGPT to stick around long-term.
He also raised concerns about how OpenAI handles user privacy and data, something Apple takes very seriously.
He argued that Google’s Gemini offered stronger privacy safeguards. And although it was still emerging at the time, it was a more sustainable path for Siri.
Still, not everyone at Apple agreed.
Apple Bet On ChatGPT
Despite Giannandrea’s opinions, Apple ended up choosing OpenAI’s ChatGPT. At WWDC 2025, Apple announced that Siri users would soon get help from ChatGPT.
The chatbot will come in whenever Siri can’t answer a question directly.
By December, the feature was released to millions of users. Here are a few possible reasons that influenced Apple’s decision:
- ChatGPT had the momentum and was already a household name. It is also the most used AI chatbot.
- OpenAI had developer tools that simplified API interactions.
Apple’s AI Direction
Apple is still figuring things out. It has taken a slower, more cautious approach to AI.
Although there has been an earlier release of its own AI, Apple Intelligence, it has failed to meet industrial benchmarks.
Also, it has come under fire for generating false and misleading content. Consequently, Apple put a stop to its AI news alerts.
