Apple has decided to power its next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) features, including Siri, with Google AI’s Gemini technology.
On Monday, Apple and Google announced a groundbreaking partnership, as reported by AFP.
Apple stated that after thorough evaluation, it concluded that Google’s AI technology provides the most robust foundation for advancing Apple’s AI capabilities.
The tech giant clarified that its proprietary AI system, Apple Intelligence, will continue to operate at the device level for iPhones and iPads. This approach, Apple asserts, will maintain industry-leading privacy standards.
Sources indicate that Apple explored collaborations with OpenAI, Anthropic, and Perplexity before ultimately selecting Google as its partner.
Following this announcement, Alphabet, Google’s parent company, saw its market capitalization surpass 4 trillion USD for the first time in its history.
Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, characterized the partnership as a pivotal moment for Google and a strategic move for Apple to align its AI roadmap beyond 2026.
Elon Musk, Tesla’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), vehemently criticized the agreement as anti-competitive. He argued that it represents an excessive concentration of power, given Google’s existing control over Android and Chrome.
In contrast to rivals such as Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI, Apple has faced notable challenges in the AI sector.
Apple initially planned to unveil enhanced AI capabilities for Siri by April of last year but postponed the launch until the end of this year. The company also saw the departure of its top AI executive, Robby Walker, in December.
The exodus of talent from Apple’s AI division continued with the departures of Ruoming Pang, who spearheaded the AI model team, and Frank Chu, a senior executive overseeing search service development, both of whom joined Meta.