Apple is gearing up to support voice-controlled AI apps from third-party developers in CarPlay for the first time, allowing users to interact with AI chatbots directly through the car’s interface, Mark Gurman reports for Bloomberg News.
The company plans to roll out this capability in the coming months, enabling providers to launch dedicated CarPlay versions of their apps featuring voice-control functionality. However, Apple will not permit these third-party apps to replace the Siri button or override the wake word for invoking the assistant; users will instead have to manually open the desired app to engage its voice mode.
Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News:
The change marks a strategic shift for Apple, which until now has only allowed its own Siri assistant as a voice-control option within its popular vehicle infotainment software. With the move, AI providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic PBC, and Alphabet Inc.’s Google will be able to release CarPlay versions of their apps that include a voice-control mode.
That means a driver could, say, ask ChatGPT for restaurant recommendations without taking their hands off the wheel. Apple customers have been clamoring for such an option for months, but there’s no guarantee that outside developers will follow through and take advantage of the capability.
There will still be limits. Apple won’t let users replace the Siri button on CarPlay or the wake word that summons the service. Instead, users will need to open the app to activate the third-party voice control, the people said.
Developers will be able to design their apps so voice mode launches automatically when the app is opened, which should help make it more convenient to use.
MacDailyNews Take: We’ll replace Siri with Grok on Day One. Currently, you can use the Grok app on your iPhone while it is connected to CarPlay, it does not appear as a native app on the CarPlay screen, nor does it currently support voice commands through the native vehicle steering wheel button in a typical CarPlay setup.
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