Apple couldn't build the best AI for Siri, so it's borrowing Google's

The next Siri runs on Gemini, not Apple's own models

by · TechSpot

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In a nutshell: Apple is once again turning to Google, extending a long-running partnership rooted in search to underpin its most advanced consumer-facing AI efforts yet. In a joint statement, the companies confirmed a new multi-year agreement that will bring Google's Gemini into Apple's next-generation Foundation Model, a move that will ripple across Siri and other AI features within the Apple Intelligence platform.

As rivals across Big Tech continue pouring billions into the race for AI supremacy, Apple appears to be opting for a leaner, more pragmatic strategy, one shaped by its apparent inability to ship a homegrown generative AI system that can rival today's market leaders.

Under the deal, Gemini will enhance upcoming Apple Intelligence features and serve as the backbone for a more personalized version of Siri slated to arrive later this year. Reports suggest Apple began early discussions with Google back in 2025, exploring how a customized Gemini model could power its next-generation digital assistant.

"After careful evaluation, Google's AI technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models, and we are excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for Apple users," the Cupertino tech giant said.

Apple emphasized that Apple Intelligence will remain exclusive to its own devices and services. Integrated with the company's Private Cloud Computing architecture, the platform is expected to maintain the same privacy standards Apple already promotes across the rest of its ecosystem.

The partnership lands amid a complicated AI rollout. Apple first unveiled new AI-powered Siri capabilities in June 2025 alongside the debut of Apple Intelligence, but later pushed the assistant's launch to 2026.

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Today's Siri relies on ChatGPT, and Apple says it does not plan to change its existing agreement with OpenAI – a curious position given its newly announced collaboration with Google. The joint statement's reference to a new generation of Foundation Models built on Gemini suggests both efforts may operate in parallel.

Pressure is mounting. Apple Intelligence, which blends on-device processing with server-side AI, has so far drawn mostly underwhelming reactions. Behind the scenes, however, Cupertino has continued advancing its AI initiatives with new data training methods, technology upgrades, and expanding internal testing.

Apple has long collected billions of dollars from Google to keep it the default search engine on iPhone and other Apple devices, a dynamic that now appears to be repeating itself in the age of AI chatbots and large language models (albeit the other way around).

The arrangement underscores an increasingly complex relationship in which Google is both a critical partner and a direct competitor. That tension is only intensifying as Alphabet rides a broader AI-fueled rally: the Google parent's shares surged 65% last year, pushing its market capitalization past $4 trillion this week, and making it only the fourth company ever to reach that milestone. In the process, Alphabet surpassed Apple in market cap for the first time in roughly seven years.