Revolutionizing the Road: Apple’s CarPlay Welcomes Third-Party Chatbots

Interacting with Siri through CarPlay is already feasible, and potentially, Apple might enable a wider array of iPhone AI chatbot apps to operate on the dashboard. According to a recent report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, insiders have disclosed that Apple is in the process of accommodating “voice-controlled artificial intelligence apps from other companies” in CarPlay. This initiative is currently in progress and could be officially announced in the upcoming months.

If this information holds true and the plan unfolds as expected, it could signify one of the new features for CarPlay in iOS 27, typically unveiled during Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June. Gurman characterizes this move as a “strategic shift” for Apple, enabling users to replace Siri with another voice assistant of their preference. This substitution would be facilitated through standard iPhone apps like Gemini and ChatGPT, granting them permission to interact with CarPlay. Presently, Apple strictly regulates the content displayed on the dashboard, restricting such interactions.

The Regulatory Landscape

While this development echoes a similar transition in Japan under iOS 26.2, mandated by the country’s Mobile Software Competition Act, Apple might be proactively responding to impending regulations. The potential expansion of the configurable Siri button beyond Japan in iOS 27 seems unlikely, as Gurman points out that “Apple won’t permit users to replace the Siri button on CarPlay or alter the wake word that activates the service.” Sources suggest that users will have to manually launch the app from the dashboard to initiate conversations, emphasizing the broader app compatibility with CarPlay rather than introducing specialized features.

It will be incumbent upon developers to update their apps for CarPlay compatibility, but the opportunity to showcase their chatbots prominently on millions of iPhone-powered dashboards should serve as a significant incentive. Notably, Google promptly integrated Google Maps with CarPlay following iOS 12’s support for third-party maps apps in 2018. Furthermore, Google and Alexa have already incorporated functionality to utilize the side button on iPhones in Japan. With a global rollout of CarPlay support, major AI companies like Google and OpenAI are poised to compete for prominence as the preferred car chatbot for iPhone users.

Beyond ChatGPT

While Gurman references ChatGPT, it is worth noting that interacting with OpenAI’s voice assistant through CarPlay on compatible iPhones is already feasible. However, the current process necessitates routing requests through Siri, either by prefacing with “Ask ChatGPT” or relying on Siri’s discretion to redirect the query instead of attempting to answer independently. Moreover, the existing setup lacks continuity in conversations with ChatGPT, restricting users to one-off responses. Native support for ChatGPT (or Gemini) in CarPlay is expected to facilitate more natural interactions akin to chatbot dialogues. Apple’s purported next-generation Siri in iOS 27, codenamed “Campos,” aims to offer comprehensive conversational threads, potentially negating the need for users to switch assistants, especially if the process involves manual app launching instead of a simple button press on the steering wheel.

[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]