Apple has announced a multi-year partnership with Google to integrate the Gemini artificial intelligence model into its devices, powering a revamped Siri assistant among other features. The deal marks a significant shift, as Apple currently works with OpenAI's ChatGPT to enhance Siri's capabilities.
In a joint statement, the two US tech giants said: 'After careful evaluation, Apple determined that Google's AI 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 companies emphasised that Apple Intelligence will continue to run on Apple devices and Private Cloud Compute, maintaining Apple's privacy standards.
The long-promised Siri upgrade, first launched in 2011, is expected early this year, according to earlier reports from Bloomberg. Apple declined to comment on a specific launch date.
The partnership drew immediate criticism from Elon Musk, founder of AI firm xAI, which develops the Grok model. Writing on X, Musk said: 'This seems like an unreasonable concentration of power for Google, given that they also have Android and Chrome.'
Google has made significant strides with Gemini recently, overtaking rivals in key AI performance metrics. Analyst Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities called the deal a 'major validation moment for Google'. Following the announcement, Alphabet reached a $4 trillion market valuation for the first time, joining Apple, Microsoft and Nvidia as the only companies to achieve that milestone.
