March 26 (Reuters) - Apple ( AAPL ) plans to open its Siri voice assistant to rival artificial intelligence services beyond its current partnership with ChatGPT, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The move, expected as part of Apple's ( AAPL ) iOS 27 update, would allow third-party AI apps to integrate directly with Siri, enabling users to route queries to services such as Alphabet's Gemini or Anthropic's Claude from within the assistant, according to the report.

Apple ( AAPL ) did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The change marks a significant shift in Apple's ( AAPL ) AI strategy as it seeks to catch up with Silicon Valley peers and position the iPhone as a broader AI platform. Siri, first launched more than a decade ago, is central to that effort.

Apple ( AAPL ) is developing tools to let chatbot apps installed via its App Store work with Siri and other features under its Apple Intelligence platform, Bloomberg News reported. Users would be able to choose which AI service handles each request.

The overhaul could also help Apple ( AAPL ) generate more revenue by taking a share of subscriptions sold through third-party AI services, the report said.

Apple ( AAPL ) is expected to preview the new software features at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June, though plans could still change.