OpenAI has told a federal court that ChatGPT’s integration in Siri “dramatically underperformed.” The statement comes from an OpenAI filing in the antitrust case brought by Elon Musk’s xAI, first reported on September 23, 2026 by MacRumors and 9to5Mac, and picked up a day later by AppleInsider. The ChatGPT extension is part of Apple Intelligence on supported iPhone, iPad, and Mac models. The filing surfaced days after Apple began rolling out its new Siri AI beta, so if you’re unsure which Siri you have, you’re in good company.
Below, we cover what the filing says, how the extension works, and how it differs from Siri AI. We’ll also help you decide whether it’s still worth using.
What Happened
The quotes come from court documents, not an OpenAI announcement. According to MacRumors, Musk’s xAI sued Apple and OpenAI in federal court in Texas, arguing that their ChatGPT deal shut out rivals like xAI. OpenAI’s response, as reported by MacRumors, 9to5Mac, and AppleInsider, argues the opposite:
- The deal wasn’t exclusive. OpenAI says the contract let Apple work with other AI providers.
- It didn’t bring in many users. ChatGPT launched in Siri in December 2024. By January 2025, OpenAI said the integration “appeared to be off to a slow start” and cut its forecast for new users. The filing later says “it was clear that Apple’s integration of ChatGPT was dramatically underperforming,” and MacRumors reports OpenAI also called it “persistently underperforming.”
- Opt-in hurt adoption. OpenAI points to the extension being off by default and needing several setup steps. AppleInsider reports OpenAI argued that people were more likely to open the ChatGPT app than use it through Siri, and that the hoped-for “halo effect” of new users and paid subscribers never showed up.
MacRumors also reports that Musk’s companies dropped Apple from the case in mid-September 2026, leaving OpenAI as the only defendant, with trial scheduled for January 2027. Keep the context in mind: this is OpenAI’s legal argument, and it has a reason to play down the deal’s impact.
What the ChatGPT extension actually is
Apple built a ChatGPT extension into Siri as part of Apple Intelligence, Apple’s on-device and cloud AI system. When Siri can’t answer something well on its own, it can pass the request to OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
According to Apple Support, it works like this:
- It’s off until you set it up. On iPhone, you turn it on through Settings > Siri > ChatGPT > Set Up.
- Signing in is optional. You can use the extension without a ChatGPT account. If you want your requests saved to your ChatGPT history, you need to sign in. Apple notes that usage limits may apply.
- You can require confirmation. With the classic Siri, a Confirm Requests toggle makes Siri ask before sending anything to ChatGPT. Apple says that toggle isn’t available when you use Siri AI.
- Availability follows ChatGPT’s. Apple’s Mac guide says the extension is available only in regions where the ChatGPT app and service are available.
Siri AI is a separate, newer effort
Don’t confuse the ChatGPT extension with Siri AI. They’re different things.
Apple announced Siri AI in June 2026. The English beta began rolling out on September 14, 2026 with iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27. Apple’s Newsroom post calls it “a profoundly more capable and personal assistant.”
The ChatGPT extension is a handoff. Siri passes a question to an outside service. Siri AI is Apple’s rebuild of Siri itself. In the Siri AI beta, you add ChatGPT under Set Up Extensions > ChatGPT. With Siri itself now far more capable, the handoff is no longer the main route to smarter answers. Apple hasn’t said why it rebuilt Siri. But 9to5Mac notes that Apple has turned to Google’s Gemini models for the new Siri, and AppleInsider reports Apple’s own models are distilled from Gemini. Our reading is that ChatGPT is now one add-on rather than the centerpiece.
Who This Affects
This only matters if your device supports Apple Intelligence and you’ve turned the ChatGPT extension on (or plan to).
Device requirements. Apple’s Apple Intelligence requirements page lists iPhone 16 models or later, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone Air, iPad mini (A17 Pro), iPad models with M1 or later, Mac with M1 or later, MacBook Neo (A18 Pro), Apple Vision Pro, and Apple Watch Series 9 or later, Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later, and Apple Watch SE 3 when paired with a supported iPhone. Older iPhones, like a standard iPhone 15, don’t get the ChatGPT extension. It’s also available only where ChatGPT itself is offered, and in supported languages.
Region. Apple has delayed Siri AI in the European Union for iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 because of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the EU’s competition law for large tech platforms. Apple’s June 2026 Newsroom post says EU users also won’t get Siri AI on watchOS 27, but can use it on macOS 27 and visionOS 27. If you’re in the EU, your iPhone and iPad stay on the classic Siri for now.
Windows and Android users. Siri’s ChatGPT extension is part of Apple Intelligence, so it’s only on supported Apple devices. If you’re switching from Android or Windows, this report won’t affect anything you use today.
Details: Where to Find the Setting on Each Device
Apple documents the setup steps for iPhone and Mac, and the steps below follow those guides. If something doesn’t match, look through your device’s Siri settings.
iPhone and iPad
On your iPhone, go to Settings > Siri > ChatGPT > Set Up, then choose whether to sign in to a ChatGPT account. If you’re using the Siri AI beta, tap Set Up Extensions > ChatGPT and turn on Use Extension instead. Apple’s iPhone guide describes these steps; on an iPad, look for the same options in Settings > Siri. EU users won’t see Siri AI on iPhone or iPad yet because of the DMA delay.
Mac
On your Mac, open System Settings, click Siri in the sidebar, click ChatGPT, then click Set Up. With Siri AI (Beta), click Set Up Extensions > ChatGPT and turn on Use Extension, per Apple’s Mac guide. You’ll need a Mac with M1 or later (or a MacBook Neo), so check Apple’s list before you go looking.
Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro
Apple lists watchOS 27 and visionOS 27 in the Siri AI rollout. We haven’t included setup steps for these devices here, so check the Apple Intelligence requirements page for your model first. Apple Watch needs a supported iPhone paired with it.
How It Stacks Up
We found no benchmark data or independent testing comparing Siri’s ChatGPT handoff with Google Gemini, Galaxy AI, or Microsoft Copilot, so we’re not ranking them. The comparison Apple’s own documentation does support is its old approach against its new one:
| ChatGPT extension (classic Siri) | ChatGPT in the Siri AI beta | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup path on iPhone | Settings > Siri > ChatGPT > Set Up | Settings > Siri > Set Up Extensions > ChatGPT > Use Extension |
| When requests go to ChatGPT | Siri can suggest it; Confirm Requests controls whether it asks first | Only when you ask for ChatGPT; no Confirm Requests toggle |
| Account | Optional ChatGPT sign-in; sign in to save requests to ChatGPT history | Optional ChatGPT sign-in |
| Region | Only where ChatGPT is available | Siri AI not initially available in the EU on iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS |
Sources: Apple’s Turn on ChatGPT on iPhone guide and the EU Newsroom post.
The Reaction
Neither Apple nor OpenAI has said anything publicly beyond the filing, based on the coverage we reviewed. The Apple press framed the story differently. MacRumors led with OpenAI calling the integration “persistently underperforming,” 9to5Mac focused on how little interest Apple Intelligence users showed, and AppleInsider led with OpenAI’s “dramatically underperformed” wording and the missing halo effect. None of these outlets reported any change to how the extension works for users.
Our Take
Verdict: Apple got there earlier, but on the weakest possible footing, and it’s now doing it over.
Plugging ChatGPT into Siri gave iPhone owners a powerful chatbot without installing anything. As a quick fix for Siri’s knowledge gaps, it made sense. But a handoff is always a patch. Siri stays in charge and passes along what it can’t handle. If OpenAI itself says the setup fell short, even as a legal argument, that fits Apple’s decision to rebuild Siri with Siri AI.
We can’t say whether Apple did better or worse than Google, Samsung, or Microsoft. There’s no verified head-to-head data, and we won’t pretend otherwise.
Should you upgrade? Not because of this news alone. If you already own an iPhone 16 or iPhone 15 Pro, you have what you need. Try the Siri AI beta if you’re comfortable with beta software. On an older iPhone, you can use the separate ChatGPT app where it’s available. It isn’t the same as the Siri integration, but it doesn’t need Apple Intelligence. There’s no reason to buy a new phone just for the Siri handoff.
What to Do Next
Take one practical step: open your Siri settings and decide how much you want Siri sending to ChatGPT.
- If you use the extension and like it, keep it on. Nothing in the filing changes how it works.
- If you’re privacy-minded and still on the classic Siri, turn on Confirm Requests so Siri asks before each handoff. That toggle isn’t available with Siri AI.
- If you rarely use it, you can leave it off.
Wrapping Up
OpenAI’s court filing says ChatGPT in Siri “dramatically underperformed.” For you, nothing changes today: the extension still works, and you control it in Siri settings.