Core Insights - Apple has quietly established a new team called "AKI" (Answers, Knowledge & Information) aimed at creating an answer engine similar to ChatGPT, which will integrate web information to generate responses directly, with plans to embed it into core functionalities like Siri, Safari, and Spotlight [1][16][20] - This move represents a significant shift for Apple as it seeks to regain control over AI search capabilities, which have lagged behind competitors [12][22] Group 1: Apple's AI Strategy - The AKI team was formed earlier this year, led by Robby Walker, the former head of Siri, with the goal of developing a new answer engine that can understand questions and generate answers like ChatGPT [16][20] - Unlike external integrations like ChatGPT, AKI aims to fundamentally redefine the "Apple-style AI search experience," marking a departure from relying on third-party answers [21][22] - Apple's decision to develop its own search engine is driven by the potential loss of a $20 billion annual payment from Google, which has been paying Apple to maintain its default search engine status on iOS [22][23][25] Group 2: Challenges and Competition - Despite the ambitious plans, Apple faces significant challenges, including the loss of key engineers to competitors like Meta, which has been aggressively recruiting talent with higher salaries and more appealing projects [30][31] - The feedback on Apple's existing AI features has been mixed, with some users finding them useful while others criticize their effectiveness, indicating a need for better integration and user engagement [34][37] - Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg has publicly declared a new era of competition, positioning AI as a core component of future personal devices, which could threaten Apple's dominance in the smartphone market [38][51]