Apple will reportedly allow third-party AI assistants in CarPlay

Source: Engadget

Overview

Apple plans to allow third‑party voice‑controlled AI apps in CarPlay, Bloomberg reports. Siri is the default voice assistant for tasks such as controlling music and looking up directions, but future AI apps in CarPlay could handle the complicated, open‑ended requests Siri can’t answer.

The expanded support would let developers like OpenAI or Google offer versions of their ChatGPT and Gemini apps for CarPlay. Similar functionality is possible simply by connecting a smartphone to a car over Bluetooth and using an AI app’s voice mode, but CarPlay support would presumably make the process a little more seamless.

However, the integration won’t replace Siri entirely. Bloomberg writes that these third‑party apps won’t be able to replace the Siri button in the CarPlay interface or use their own wake words (“Hey Google,” etc.). Instead, anyone who wants to spend a long drive talking to Gemini will have to open the app first. This could reduce the utility of using one of these apps, but Apple presumably wants Siri to remain the primary in‑car assistant.

Apple and Google recently announced that Gemini would power future versions of Siri and Apple Foundation Models, the AI models underpinning Apple Intelligence. The delayed, updated version of Siri introduced alongside Apple Intelligence in 2024 is supposed to be able to take actions on the user’s behalf, work across apps, and understand the context of what’s on screen—all things Gemini can currently do. Reports suggest Apple wants to eventually use Google’s Gemini models to transform Siri into a proper conversational chatbot, which could be right at home in CarPlay.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/apple-will-reportedly-allow-third-party-ai-assistants-in-carplay-213432646.html?src=rss