Apple turns to Google Gemini in new Siri AI partnership

Apple’s next phase of artificial intelligence development is taking a quieter, more calculated direction than many expected. Rather than attempting to rebuild everything internally from scratch, Apple is choosing to accelerate its plans by licensing external AI technology while keeping tight control over how it is deployed.

The company has entered a long-term agreement with Google to use Gemini-related models and cloud capabilities as a technical base for Apple’s own large language models. The arrangement, first reported by CNBC, confirms months of industry speculation that Apple would look outside its walls to strengthen Apple Intelligence after falling behind rivals in generative AI.

What this deal does not do is hand Siri over to Google. Apple is not routing iPhone requests into Google’s consumer AI services, nor is it allowing Gemini to absorb user data into Google’s broader ecosystem. Instead, the Gemini technology will be adapted internally and used as groundwork for Apple Foundation Models that Apple trains, customizes, and operates itself.

That distinction matters because Siri’s upcoming overhaul depends heavily on Apple’s privacy architecture. Requests will continue to be processed through Apple-controlled systems, including Private Cloud Compute, where data is encrypted, isolated, and deleted after use. Apple has already applied a similar model with its existing Siri integration with OpenAI, where ChatGPT handles queries without access to a user’s personal Apple data.

The real opportunity here is what Apple can build on top of this foundation. By owning the final model and its deployment, Apple can tightly integrate Siri with iOS features like App Intents, allowing the assistant to take more reliable action across apps. This is an area where Siri has historically struggled, and where deeper system-level access could make a noticeable difference.

Apple’s recent support for Model Context Protocol also signals a broader shift. External AI systems may eventually interact with apps on Apple platforms, but Apple’s own assistant is likely to retain capabilities that third-party models cannot fully match.

Rather than signaling weakness, the Gemini partnership suggests Apple is prioritizing speed and control over pride. By blending Google’s AI research with Apple’s infrastructure and privacy standards, Apple is positioning Siri’s next evolution as a distinctly Apple-built experience, even if its foundations come from elsewhere.