Apple is planning to bring new AI features to CarPlay, reports Bloomberg. Apple will allow third-party chatbot apps to integrate with CarPlay, so AI services like Claude, Gemini, and ChatGPT will be accessible in the car for the first time.
CarPlay already supports third-party apps, but the types of apps that are supported are limited. Companies like Anthropic and OpenAI aren't currently able to create CarPlay apps, so users are limited to using Siri voice controls in the vehicle.
With the change, CarPlay users will be able to access apps like ChatGPT to ask questions hands-free, though the apps won't be able to control vehicle or iPhone functions. Third-party AI voice apps will not be accessible via a wake word and won't replace Siri, so users will need to open an app to get access to a chatbot. App developers will be able to design in-car experiences that will launch a voice-based chat mode when the app is opened, which will streamline the process.
Apple is planning to support third-party AI apps "within the coming months," which could align with when the company's smarter version of Siri is set to launch. With iOS 26.4, Apple is debuting a more personalized version of Siri that uses large language models.
Siri will be able to answer complex questions, complete multi-step tasks, maintain continuity, and do more in and between apps. The personal assistant is also set to gain a World Knowledge Answers feature, allowing it to search the web and summarize information from websites.
Later in iOS 27, Siri will get full chatbot capabilities, allowing it to better compete with Gemini, Claude, and ChatGPT.
