Apple plans to adopt Google’s Gemini AI for its revamped Siri, strengthening Alphabet’s presence in the AI assistant space.
Later this year, under a multi-year agreement, Apple will implement Google’s Gemini models for its updated Siri, reinforcing the collaboration between the two tech giants in the artificial intelligence era and enhancing Alphabet’s competitive stance against OpenAI.
The agreement, announced Monday, marks a significant endorsement of Google’s technology. While it already powers much of Samsung’s “Galaxy AI,” integrating it with Siri will give Google access to Apple’s vast installed base of over two billion active devices.
“After careful evaluation, Apple determined Google’s AI technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models,” Google said, noting that its models will also support future Apple Intelligence features.
Alphabet had been vying with OpenAI for the Apple deal, though the financial terms were not revealed.
In late 2024, Apple incorporated ChatGPT into its devices, enabling Siri to use the chatbot for handling complex queries. At the time, Apple said the ChatGPT integration underwent no major changes, while OpenAI did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
“This seems like an unreasonable concentration of power for Google, given that (they) also have Android and Chrome,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote on social media platform X.
Musk, founder of AI company xAI, has been attempting to compete with industry leaders by building foundational models and investing heavily in AI infrastructure.
Monday’s collaboration could influence OpenAI’s role with Apple. “Apple’s decision to use Google’s Gemini models for Siri shifts OpenAI into a more supporting role, with ChatGPT remaining positioned for complex, opt-in queries rather than the default intelligence layer,” said Parth Talsania, CEO of Equisights Research.
Google has accelerated the development of advanced models, including image and video generation, to counter OpenAI’s early advantage.
Apple, arriving late to the AI race, has encountered obstacles such as delays in Siri’s upgrade, executive reshuffles, and lukewarm reception to initial generative AI features.
The new agreement builds on the long-standing partnership between Apple and Google, which already designates Google as the default search engine on Apple devices—a profitable arrangement driving traffic for Google while generating tens of billions annually for Apple.
The announcement contributed to pushing Alphabet’s market value above $4 trillion on Monday, following a 65% stock surge last year fueled by investor optimism over AI initiatives.
“Apple Intelligence will continue to run on Apple devices and Private Cloud Compute, while maintaining Apple’s industry-leading privacy standards,” Google added, addressing privacy concerns.