Recent reports suggest that Apple is actively in discussions to utilize Google Gemini in an effort to significantly enhance its already AI-powered iOS assistant, Siri. This information was first disclosed by Bloomberg News, highlighting an expected upgrade to Siri that could be rolled out as early as 2026. The upgrade is anticipated to be a customized large language model (LLM) powered by Google’s Gemini chatbot, marking a notable shift in Apple's approach to artificial intelligence.
Over the last few months, Apple has been exploring various external partnerships to bolster its AI capabilities. Sources close to the situation revealed to Bloomberg that Apple has reached out to Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company, with a proposal for a custom AI model. In response, Google has been conducting tests on a model that could potentially run on Apple's own servers, indicating a collaborative effort between the two tech giants.
In June, there were speculations that Apple might abandon its plans to develop an in-house LLM to enhance Siri, in favor of partnering with established AI entities such as OpenAI's ChatGPT or Anthropic's Claude. Internally, Apple has been weighing the advantages and disadvantages of developing its own Siri AI—referred to internally as the Linwood project—versus seeking external technological solutions, dubbed Glenwood.
At that time, Apple's pivot towards an outsourced Siri AI raised concerns among industry observers, especially as competitors aggressively recruited Apple's leading AI talent to fuel their own advancements. However, in recent weeks, a number of major tech companies have begun to scale back their AI investments, prompting some analysts to speculate that the AI boom might be experiencing a downturn.
While neither Apple nor Google has officially confirmed this potential partnership, both companies have hinted that an integration of Gemini with Apple devices could be forthcoming, alongside their existing collaboration in Search. This integration could resemble previous arrangements between Apple and ChatGPT, further expanding the capabilities of Siri and enhancing user experience.
As the tech landscape continues to evolve, the collaboration between Apple and Google signifies a strategic move that could reshape the future of digital assistants, making them more intelligent and responsive to user needs.
