Apple has reversed its long-standing stance against using customer data for AI training, announcing that iOS 27 will introduce an opt-in system allowing Apple Intelligence to learn from user interactions. Previously, Apple claimed it could develop Siri AI without personal data, relying instead on Differential Privacy—a method using artificial prompts and injected noise to identify usage patterns without exposing individual identities. However, the company now acknowledges it "realistically needs customer data" to remain competitive with rivals like OpenAI and Meta.

Starting September 14, users will see a prompt asking permission to help improve the chatbot, with options to agree or select "not now." The updated privacy policy admits collected audio may be reviewed by "review personnel," though it is unclear if these are Apple employees or third-party contractors. Apple maintains it takes steps to ensure personal data is not stored or used, though terms of service have long noted anonymized audio may be listened to by staff. The shift raises questions about data from new Apple Watch features that continuously listen for conversations and generate transcripts via Private Cloud Compute, though Apple has not confirmed if that data will be included in training.