Apple has selected Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence models to power new AI-driven features across its ecosystem, including a revamped version of Siri expected to roll out later this year, marking a significant strategic partnership between two longtime rivals.
The multi-year agreement will rely on Google’s Gemini models and cloud infrastructure as a foundation for Apple’s future Apple Foundation Models, according to a report obtained by CNBC. Apple said the decision followed an internal evaluation of competing technologies.
“After careful evaluation, we determined that Google’s technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models, and we’re excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for our users,” the company said.
The move confirms reporting from Bloomberg in August, which said Apple was in early talks with Google about using a customized version of Gemini to power a next-generation Siri. At the time, the discussions were seen as part of Apple’s broader effort to strengthen its artificial intelligence strategy as rivals pushed ahead with consumer-facing AI products.
Gemini has consistently ranked at or near the top of industry benchmarks and already powers advanced capabilities on Android devices, including conversational AI, multimodal understanding and video summarization. Google has said Gemini will serve as the default assistant across Android phones.
For Apple, the partnership underscores a willingness to integrate third-party models into its Apple Intelligence framework. Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, previously said the company intended to incorporate outside AI models for specific tasks. Apple has also explored partnerships with OpenAI and Anthropic, according to earlier reports.
The announcement comes amid shifting dynamics between the two companies. Last week, Google’s parent Alphabet briefly surpassed Apple in market capitalization for the first time since 2019. At the same time, Google faces regulatory uncertainty over its lucrative search placement deals, including its long-standing agreement with Apple.
Google declined to comment on the partnership.