AI Research
Apple Planning AI-Powered Web Search for Siri Next Year: Report
Apple is planning to launch a new AI-powered web search tool for Siri next year, according to a new report from Bloomberg, as it seeks to compete with competitors who’ve invested heavily in AI. Details are still scarce and could change before launch, but it sounds like the whole thing could be powered by a custom version of Google’s Gemini.
The new system is being called World Knowledge Answers internally, according to Bloomberg, and may even be added to Safari and Spotlight. An AI-powered version of Siri has been long delayed, after Apple promised in 2024 that it would be available in June 2025. That, of course, was pushed back.
The new AI features for Siri will likely create a search experience on Apple devices that utilizes the unique access it has to things like text, photos, and videos. And it’s likely to create summaries based on web searches that are more powerful than what’s available with the currently anemic Siri.
But even if a custom-built Gemini is used for some functions like summarizing, it would probably run on Apple’s own Private Cloud Compute servers in order to maintain privacy, according to Bloomberg. Google has already reportedly delivered Gemini’s summarizing tech to Apple, but it’s still being fine-tuned. Apple previously considered buying Perplexity but is no longer interested, according to the news outlet.
Privacy has been a tricky problem to solve when tech companies tackle AI. OpenAI’s Sam Altman has warned that anyone using ChatGPT as a therapist should know that there are no doctor-patient confidentiality laws for AI chatbots. And Signal’s Meredith Whittaker has warned that agentic AI capabilities are extremely difficult to pull off in an encrypted way.
Apple has gotten some heat from investors for seemingly slipping behind other startups in implementing AI. But there has been good reason to be cautious. Generative artificial intelligence often doesn’t work as advertised, and there are a number of hurdles to making it safe. OpenAI has learned that lesson the hard way, as reports of AI psychosis flood the internet.
But Cook has recently signaled that he understands how transformative the tech could be for Apple, dubbing the AI revolution “as big or bigger” than the internet during a global all-hands meeting last month.
Apple’s ramp-up with AI is expected to take some time, as Bloomberg notes. The company is announcing a new iPhone next week, but the device isn’t expected to have any “major” new AI features.
In a LinkedIn post, Miguel Luengo-Oroz, co-founder and CEO of Spotlab.ai, confirmed the company is hiring an Artificial Intelligence Research Scientist. The role is aimed at early career researchers, postdoctoral candidates, and recent PhD graduates in AI.
Luengo-Oroz writes: “Are you a young independent researcher, postdoc, just finished your PhD (or on the way there) in AI and wondering what’s next? If you’re curious, ready to tackle tough scientific and technical challenges, and want to build AI for something that matters, this might be for you.”
Spotlab.ai targets diagnostics role with new hire
The position will focus on building and deploying multimodal AI solutions for diagnostics and biopharma research. Applications include blood cancers and neglected tropical diseases.
The scientist will be expected to organize and prepare biomedical datasets, train and test AI models, and deploy algorithms in real-world conditions. The job description highlights interaction with medical specialists and product managers, as well as drafting technical documentation. Scientific publications are a priority, with the candidate expected to contribute across the research cycle from experiment planning to peer review.
Spotlab.ai is looking for candidates with experience in areas such as biomedical image processing, computer vision, NLP, video processing, and large language models. Proficiency in Python and deep learning frameworks including TensorFlow, Keras, and PyTorch is required, with GPU programming experience considered an advantage.
Company positions itself in global health AI
Spotlab.ai develops multimodal AI for diagnostics and biopharma research, with projects addressing gaps in hematology, infectious diseases, and neglected tropical diseases. The Madrid-based startup team combines developers, engineers, doctors, and business managers, with an emphasis on gender parity and collaboration across disciplines.
CEO highlights global mission
Alongside the job listing, Luengo-Oroz underscored the company’s broader mission. A former Chief Data Scientist at the United Nations, he has worked on technology strategies in areas ranging from food security to epidemics and conflict prevention. He is also the inventor of MalariaSpot.org, a collective intelligence videogame for malaria diagnosis.
Luengo-Oroz writes: “Take the driver’s seat of our train (not just a minion) at key stages of the journey, designing AI systems and doing science at Champions League level from Madrid.”
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