Apple built an internal chatbot app called Veritas to test a major Siri upgrade

Apple has developed a ChatGPT-style iPhone app to test major upgrades coming to Siri next year, according to Bloomberg. The app, called Veritas, is designed for internal use only.

Employees are using it to test whether the new version of Siri can finally compete with smarter assistants like Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The current plan is to launch the updated Siri as early as March 2025, after multiple delays and failed rollouts.

Veritas was built by Apple’s internal AI division to help engineers test Siri’s new abilities more efficiently. With this app, employees can simulate how Siri handles private data, like emails, music, and photos, and test if it can carry out actions like editing or searching.

Apple has no plans to release Veritas to users. It exists to let developers push the new Siri software without waiting for full OS releases.

Apple tests new large language model with Veritas

Veritas is running on a new backend system called Linwood, which uses a large language model trained by Apple’s Foundation Models team along with tech from an unnamed third party.

It works like popular chatbots; users can have multiple conversations, go back to earlier chats, ask follow-up questions, and interact with the system in longer exchanges. It’s all designed to test how well Siri can handle real human input.

The updated Siri was originally supposed to launch in spring 2024, but Apple had to delay the rollout after internal tests showed the features failed about one-third of the time. That failure triggered a leadership shakeup.

Apple’s AI chief, John Giannandrea, and several key deputies were sidelined, and Robby Walker, the executive who previously led the Siri team, is leaving the company in October. After losing control of Siri, Robby started a new internal team called AKI, short for Answers, Knowledge, and Information.

That group is now building new AI-based search features for Siri. Apple has already started building more features on top of Siri. The new version will be able to recognize what’s showing on a user’s screen and act on it; something the current Siri can’t do.

It’ll also allow users to move around their devices using just voice commands. Veritas helps test all that. It also includes tools that let engineers gather information from the internet and see AI-generated summaries.

Apple explores deals with AI firms while redesigning Siri

Apple isn’t doing this alone. It’s been shopping around for external help. Earlier this year, it held talks with OpenAI about using its models in Siri. Then came discussions with Anthropic, the makers of Claude. Now, Apple is deep in talks with Google about integrating a custom version of Gemini into Siri’s infrastructure. No deal has been finalized, but Apple is keeping its options open.

While all this testing is going on, Apple is also preparing a visual redesign for Siri. That new interface is expected before the end of 2025. The company is working on more AI features for HomePod, Apple TV, and even smart home devices that haven’t been announced yet. All of this is part of Apple’s broader strategy to stay in the AI race.

Despite all the internal activity, Apple isn’t planning to release Veritas to customers. That’s consistent with what Apple executives have said publicly. In June, Apple software chief Craig Federighi told Tom’s Guide that chatbots like Veritas are powerful, but “remain not our primary goal.” When asked about releasing something like ChatGPT, Craig said, “Time will tell where we go there.”

Siri’s delayed launch and the failed spring rollout forced Apple to rethink its entire AI strategy. The company knows it’s behind. When it launched the iPhone 17 this month, it didn’t even mention its in-house AI system. But Apple isn’t dropping the fight.

The Veritas app is being used to pressure-test every feature ahead of the 2025 release. Whether or not Siri catches up to its competitors, Apple is betting it still has time to fix its voice assistant before AI becomes the deciding factor in smartphone sales.

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