Apple is turning to Google to help complete its push into artificial intelligence, tapping the tech giant’s expertise to upgrade Siri and introduce new AI features across the iPhone and other devices.
The partnership was revealed Monday in a joint announcement, confirming that Apple will use Google’s Gemini technology to help power its upcoming AI platform, branded as “Apple Intelligence.” The move highlights Apple’s effort to catch up after rivals like Google and Samsung surged ahead in rolling out AI tools to consumers.
Apple had promised a major leap into AI with features planned for 2024, including a smarter, more conversational version of Siri. But many of those upgrades are still in development. The long-awaited Siri overhaul — meant to turn the often-confused assistant into a more capable multitasker — has now been delayed until at least 2026. In the meantime, Google has continued expanding its own AI reach, even poking fun at the iPhone’s shortcomings in ads for its Pixel phones.
For Google, Apple’s decision to rely on its technology is a major win. Analysts see it as a strong endorsement of Gemini at a time when Google is battling OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which already has its own integration deal with Apple. Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives called the partnership a “major validation moment for Google.”
The deal also comes as Alphabet, Google’s parent company, has surged past Apple in market value, driven largely by investor excitement around AI. Alphabet recently crossed the $4 trillion mark, edging ahead of Apple, which held the title of the world’s most valuable company for years before the AI boom reshaped the tech landscape.
Other companies have also joined the $4 trillion club, including Nvidia, whose AI-focused chips have pushed its valuation even higher, briefly topping $5 trillion last fall. Meanwhile, Alphabet’s stock has climbed sharply since a federal court ruling eased concerns about a potential breakup of Google’s search business — a decision that also preserved its lucrative deal to remain the default search engine on Apple devices.
That long-standing agreement, worth more than $20 billion a year to Apple, now sits alongside a new partnership that could redefine how the iPhone competes in the AI era — with Google playing a central role in shaping Apple’s next chapter.