The functions of Apple’s car system CarPlay continue to expand. It is no longer just about mirroring the iPhone screen to the car screen, but has gradually become a hub for various artificial intelligence assistants. The latest addition is Meta AI, which joins ChatGPT, Perplexity and Grok, although its rollout has not been as widespread as expected.
Meanwhile, Apple is preparing a major update to Siri, which will be released with iOS 27. The new version of Siri promises a more natural conversational experience and deeper integration with the car. But prior to the update, users could already experience other AI assistants from the dashboard, provided their account had the feature enabled.
Meta AI comes to CarPlay
Meta AI has appeared in the CarPlay interface for some users, but not all users can use it. When trying to open the app, many users will see a message that their account doesn’t support the feature. Access is not guaranteed even with a paid subscription, suggesting Meta is conducting a phased activation of its servers.
The latest version of the Meta AI app, 287.0.0, was released on August 24, and its description makes no mention of CarPlay. This further supports previous speculation that this was just a limited test, similar to what ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Grok did when they first entered the Apple ecosystem. Availability is independent of account type. Rather, it is a remote enablement function controlled by Meta.
Despite some limitations, the very existence of Meta AI in CarPlay is significant. Apple has opened the door to conversational apps in iOS 26.4. Since then, developers have been able to create voice-based experiences for cars. ChatGPT is the first to take advantage of this. Now, Meta AI is joining the ranks.
An open artificial intelligence platform
The idea of CarPlay becoming a showcase for artificial intelligence assistants is becoming more and more realistic. Drivers can choose from multiple chatbots. No need to touch your phone, just use your voice. However, these third-party voice assistants don’t work the same way as Siri: You have to manually turn them on from the car’s screen, and they don’t have access to vehicle data.
Siri remains the system’s primary assistant, but its role is changing. Apple is working on a more advanced version that will be released with iOS 27, which is currently in beta. The new Siri is expected to be able to conduct contextual conversations, and while current chatbots already have this feature, the advantage of the new Siri is that it is natively integrated.
Competition among assistants benefits end users. Being able to choose between Siri, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Grok and now Meta AI brings advantages for in-car operations that no other integrated multimedia system can match. Automakers often keep their ecosystems closed, but CarPlay lets you cast iPhone apps to your dashboard.
The new Siri in iOS 27
Apple’s biggest commitment to CarPlay is to reinvent Siri. The new version of the assistant will be released in September. With the release of iOS 27, the car version will also have more powerful functions. You’ll be able to have smoother conversations, better understand context, and sync interactions with your iPhone.
One of the most interesting new features is that conversations held in the car will be saved to a specific Siri app on the iPhone. This way the user can continue later. Via the mobile device, an icon appears on the screen indicating that these actions have been initiated in the car. This creates a continuity that didn’t exist before.
Meanwhile, Apple’s competitors aren’t standing still. Meta-artificial intelligence is just the latest example of artificial intelligence creeping into cars. This spring, Gemini also integrated with Google Maps’ CarPlay feature, indicating that the ecosystem is fully growing.
CarPlay’s evolution towards an open AI platform is unstoppable. Although Yuan AI is still in its infancy, it has begun to take shape; Siri is also preparing for a major leap. The next few months will be crucial as we see how all these in-car assistants work together, with users being the biggest beneficiaries.
