Stuck in traffic with a burning question about restaurant recommendations? Apple’s upcoming iOS update will let you ask ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or Claude directly through CarPlay without ever touching your phone. This marks a significant expansion of Apple’s in-car platform since its 2014 launch, finally cracking open the walled garden that frustrated millions of drivers.
Voice-Only Access Coming Soon
The implementation sounds refreshingly straightforward. You’ll open your preferred AI chatbot app on CarPlay’s dashboard, then speak your questions naturally. No fumbling with screens, no dangerous phone-grabbing while merging lanes.
Bloomberg sources familiar with the matter say the feature arrives “within the coming months,” though Apple hasn’t confirmed anything officially. Whether this lands in iOS 26 or waits for iOS 27’s preview in June remains unclear.
Siri Keeps the Crown
Don’t expect ChatGPT to suddenly start your engine or adjust your mirrors. These AI apps operate in a carefully controlled sandbox—they can’t override Siri’s wake word, access the Siri button, or control any iPhone or vehicle functions.
Think of it as Apple’s way of testing AI waters without flooding the car. This expansion sits separate from Apple Intelligence’s recent ChatGPT integration and the major Siri overhaul planned for iOS 27.
Market Reality Check
With over 80 million CarPlay users already relying on the platform, this move feels like Apple’s answer to automakers who’ve started bypassing CarPlay entirely. Companies like Tesla and BMW are integrating AI assistants directly into their infotainment systems, making CarPlay feel suddenly dated.
Your current workaround—using Siri Shortcuts to trigger ChatGPT—works but lacks the polish this native integration promises. Apple’s timing isn’t accidental. As AI becomes as expected in cars as cup holders, keeping CarPlay relevant means embracing the competition rather than blocking it.
