New Delhi: Apple and Google recently announced a multi-year partnership that will see Apple’s next-generation AI features, including its most popular Siri assistant, be powered by Google’s Gemini technology. The collaboration marks a significant shift for Apple, which has traditionally developed its core technologies in-house. A joint statement stated that Apple had selected Google’s AI technology after careful evaluation determined that it provided the most capable foundation for the iPhone maker’s AI ambitions.
This announcement represents a rare alliance between two companies that have long competed in the smartphone market, where Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android operating system dominate globally. However, these two rivals have maintained a lucrative partnership for years, with Google paying Apple billions of dollars annually to remain the default search engine on iPhones and other Apple devices. That arrangement has faced scrutiny from regulators, with the US Department of Justice arguing in an antitrust case that the deal helps Google maintain its search monopoly, though a judge stated that the arrangement could continue.
Apple has also considered partnerships with OpenAI, Anthropic, and Perplexity. Apple is largely perceived to have stumbled in efforts to roll out AI capabilities across its products. It announced that the head of its AI team was stepping down. Google, Microsoft, OpenAI and other tech rivals have been releasing ever-improved AI models and features in a fierce race to lead the sector. Despite the collaboration, Apple emphasised that its in-house AI system, Apple Intelligence, would be used to power its iPhones and iPads at the device level only, maintaining what it described as industry-leading privacy standards.
