Apple's iOS 27 to Create 'AI App Store' for Third-Party Chatbots

Apple is reshaping its artificial intelligence roadmap for iOS 27, leaning into a familiar business model as it focuses on its core strengths. The company plans to monetize third-party AI platforms by taking a 30 percent cut of subscriptions through a dedicated AI marketplace.



Recognizing that its internal models lag significantly behind those from OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic, Apple is adjusting its approach to artificial intelligence. According to Mark Gurman, the revised strategy, expected to be detailed at WWDC in June, focuses on embedding enough proprietary AI to keep users from defecting to Android. Apple will then turn Siri into a gateway for more advanced third-party services.


A central component of this shift is the upcoming iOS 27 Extensions feature, which Apple is currently preparing to open to rival virtual assistants. The operating system will feature a specific App Store section for AI chatbots, effectively creating an AI App Store. By driving users toward these external tools, Apple can generate substantial revenue through its standard commission without bearing the massive infrastructure costs required to train frontier models.

The company is still integrating Google Gemini to enhance Siri's baseline capabilities and provide a functional out-of-the-box experience. Executives have realized that few consumers will pay directly for Apple's native AI technology. By allowing platforms like ChatGPT and Claude to handle complex queries, Apple maintains control of the ecosystem while letting third parties fund the underlying innovation.

This approach closely mirrors the original App Store playbook. Apple provides default apps like Maps and Mail but allows users to install superior alternatives and takes a cut of any associated revenue. While some insiders argue that AI is fundamentally different from a standalone app and represents the next generation of computing itself, Apple's hardware dominance gives it leverage over how these models reach consumers.

Apple still needs capable in-house technology to support upcoming products like smart glasses, a pendant, and camera-equipped AirPods. Delays to the new Siri have directly impacted the development timelines for these wearables. However, Apple's chips remain highly efficient at running AI workloads locally. This reinforces that the company's future remains rooted in hardware even as its software efforts evolve.


This hardware-first reality also reportedly reinforces hardware engineering chief John Ternus as a leading internal candidate to succeed CEO Tim Cook.