Apple strikes major deal with Google to power Siri with Gemini AI

Apple and Google announced Monday that the two tech giants have forged a major multi-year partnership that will power Siri with Google Gemini later this year. 

The deal, which will also bring Google cloud technology to iPhones, represents a major shift in Apple’s tech ecosystem, as the tech giant has never before relied on another company to power its AI tools. 

“Apple and Google have entered into a multi-year collaboration under which the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google’s Gemini models and cloud technology,” the companies said in a joint statement. “These models will help power future Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalized Siri coming this year.”

Apple said the company chose Google’s AI because it fit their needs the best, but all Apple AI features will still run in Apple-controlled environments, keeping user privacy intact.

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“After careful evaluation, Apple determined that Google’s Al technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models and is excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for Apple users,” the statement read. “Apple Intelligence will continue to run on Apple devices and Private Cloud Compute, while maintaining Apple’s industry-leading privacy standards.”

While Google’s AI and cloud technology already drives much of Samsung’s Galaxy AI, the deal would unlock another massive market space dominated by Apple, which has more than a billion active users worldwide.

The deal represents a major win for Google, which has been racing to compete with OpenAI’s early achievements, including Apple’s 2024 partnership with ChatGPT that allowed Siri to consult the AI for certain questions.

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who also founded his own AI firm xAI and has been trying to compete with other major players in the industry, reacted to the deal in a post on X Monday, saying the partnership gives Google too much influence over users and the internet.

“This seems like an unreasonable concentration of power for Google, given that (they) also have Android and Chrome,” Musk said. 

Alongside its dominance in the Samsung ecosystem, Google controls roughly 70% of the browser market through Chrome and pays Apple billions annually to remain the default search engine on Safari and Apple devices. 

That deal came under scrutiny when Google was accused of holding an illegal monopoly in internet search.