Apple taps Google’s Gemini in multi-year AI deal to deliver a more personalized Siri
Apple and Google have signed a multi-year artificial intelligence partnership that will bring Google’s Gemini models into the core of Apple’s next wave of AI features. In a joint statement released on Monday, the companies said the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be built on Gemini models and Google cloud technology, with the goal of powering future Apple Intelligence capabilities, including a more personalized Siri expected later this year.
While the partnership leans on Google’s AI technology, Apple is emphasizing that its privacy approach will not change. The joint statement notes that Apple Intelligence will continue to run on Apple devices and through Apple’s Private Cloud Compute, a setup designed to limit how much user data needs to leave a device while still enabling more advanced AI processing when required. Neither company has publicly detailed what data, if any, would be shared with Google in scenarios where Gemini is used.
For Apple, the agreement signals a clearer path forward after a slow and sometimes uneven rollout of its AI roadmap. The company has faced delays in delivering the upgraded Siri experience it has been teasing since it introduced Apple Intelligence, and the move to incorporate Gemini helps Apple accelerate development using a proven set of large language models.
Apple first previewed a more capable Siri during WWDC 2024, where it described plans for the assistant to become more personal, understand what’s on screen, and take actions across apps. Those capabilities are the type of improvements Apple is now aiming to ship using a foundation layer that will be based on Gemini.
The deal also adds a new chapter to Apple’s recent strategy of mixing in outside AI where it makes sense. Reuters previously reported that Apple rolled out ChatGPT integration in late 2024, allowing Siri to route certain complex questions to OpenAI’s chatbot as an opt-in feature. With Gemini now set to underpin Apple’s foundation layer, ChatGPT is expected to play more of a supporting role rather than serving as the default intelligence engine behind Siri.
Financial terms of the Apple and Google agreement were not disclosed. However, Axios noted that Bloomberg had estimated Apple might pay on the order of $1 billion per year to use Google’s models, reflecting the scale of the partnership even if the official numbers remain private.
For Google, landing a role inside Siri represents a major distribution win. Reuters noted that the partnership gives Google access to Apple’s installed base of more than two billion active devices, expanding Gemini’s reach beyond Google’s own hardware and software ecosystem.
The collaboration is also likely to draw attention from regulators because Apple and Google already share a long-running, high-profile business relationship. Their default search arrangement has faced antitrust scrutiny for years, and a deeper AI tie-up could revive similar questions about market power and platform influence.
Investors reacted modestly after the announcement. MarketWatch reported that Apple shares rose about 0.3% while Alphabet gained roughly 1% following the news, signaling cautious optimism about what the partnership could mean for both companies in the AI race.
If Apple delivers the promised changes, the biggest impact will be on everyday Siri use. A more context-aware assistant could handle follow-up questions more naturally, better understand personal context, and complete tasks across apps with fewer steps. Apple is positioning the Gemini-backed foundation as a way to unlock these upgrades while keeping most processing either on-device or within Apple-controlled cloud infrastructure.
