Apple explores deals with publishers to make Siri smarter on news; All details

With iOS 27, Apple will be introducing AI-powered Siri, which is being called ‘Siri AI.’ Now, to make the AI assistant smart, Apple is reportedly in talks with publishers and news outlets to give Siri access to fresh news and information.

According to a WSJ report, Apple is considering paying publishers based on how much their content is actually used by Siri. This will save the hassle of paying publishers a fixed licensing fee to access their content from their platform.

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How does Apple’s deal with publishers work?

In recent months, Apple has reportedly reached out to several publishers to use their information and news for Siri AI. The tech giant is said to have proposed a “variable compensation” model, which uses the pay-per-use process. This means that if Siri uses a publisher’s content to answer a user's query, that publisher could receive compensation.

For the deal, Apple has considered a nine-figure budget; hence, the payments could potentially go up to $100 million. This may come as a significant move to make Siri AI more relevant to user interms of current affairs and news, as the information will allow Siri to remain up-to-date, rather than providing generic web search results.

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As of now, Apple has not publicly revealed which publishers it is in talks with, and the final payment structure. If finalised, Apple’s multi-million-dollar venture could establish a new industry standard for how generative AI platforms credit and compensate publishers. However, the partnership is crucial for positioning Siri AI as a trustworthy, accurate, and up-to-date assistant for daily current affairs.

Siri AI is expected to roll out this year, potentially with the iPhone 18 Pro series in September. However, it will remain exclusive to newer-generation models such as the iPhone 15 Pro and newer models.