An interactive AI Foundations lesson on choosing the AI for Apple Intelligence on iPhone and Mac: it teaches what iOS 27 changed and how to set it, which model fits which task, and the privacy trade-off, then runs a ten-question 'good call or off?' gym.
AI Foundations · Lesson 7Step 1 of 5 · ~8 min
Which AI on your iPhone & Mac?
For two years, "the AI on your iPhone" meant whatever Apple bundled. That's changing. With iOS 27, Apple opens Siri, Writing Tools, and Image Playground to outside AI — and you pick which one. Most people will tap "OK" on the default and never think about it. You won't.
You'll learn what changed, how to set it, which model fits which job, then a 10-question "good call or off?" gym. About 8 minutes.
01 · Apple stopped picking your AI for you
At its June 2026 developer conference, Apple introduced iOS 27 "Extensions" — third-party AI models can now plug into Siri, Writing Tools, and Image Playground. Instead of one built-in assistant, you choose the provider. It ships to the public in September 2026 (iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16, and later).
Out of the box, the default runs on a Gemini-based model (an Apple–Google deal). But you can swap it for ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Grok — and even assign different models to different tasks.
How to set it — about two minutes
Open Settings → Apple Intelligence & Siri.
Find the AI model / extensions section and pick a provider. You may need to install that provider's free app first and sign in.
If your device offers per-task choices, set them — e.g. one model for writing, another for images.
Honest caveat: this is brand-new (announced June, shipping September 2026). Exact menu names, available providers, and regions may shift between betas and final release. Treat these steps as the shape of it — confirm the wording in your app.
02 · Match the model to the moment
The point of the change is choice — so use it. The honest match for the places Apple Intelligence shows up:
Writing ToolsClaude for human-sounding emails & notes; ChatGPT as the versatile default.
Everyday SiriGemini (the default) is a solid all-rounder. For current, cited facts, open a research app — Siri isn't a research engine.
Image PlaygroundChatGPT or whichever provider's images you like best — quality varies, so try two.
Current eventsGrok for real-time, X-flavored takes — with the caution that hot-takes aren't citations.
The privacy trade-off
When Siri hands a request to a third-party model, that content leaves your device and goes to that company (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, or xAI) under their terms — not Apple's on-device privacy. Apple usually asks first, and some simple requests stay on-device.
The one-question test: before letting Siri send something out, ask "Would I be comfortable typing this into that company's chatbot?" A dinner invite — sure. Something private, medical, or confidential — keep it on-device or skip the AI.
And the honest take: the default is fine for most tasks, and the on-device assistant is a convenience layer, not your workshop. Real work — deep research, long documents, building things — still belongs in the full apps, where the same models are far more capable.
03 · Good call, or off?
Ten quick situations on your phone. For each: smart, safe call — or off, rethink it?
Question 1 of 10Score 0
—
✓
You finished AI Foundations 🎉
0 / 10
You made the call on all ten.
That's the whole Foundations track — the patterns that work on every AI. Now go deep on the one you use most. Each tool track's first lesson is free.
Hey! I'm your AI Coach for this lesson. Ask me anything about choosing an AI on your iPhone or Mac — how to set it, which model for which task, or the privacy trade-off. What's on your mind?
Free lesson coaching is limited to 3 questions. Upgrade to Pro for unlimited coaching on every lesson.