While they’re not exactly tying the knot yet, Siri and Gemini are making plans to spend a lot more time together. That’s according to a new report that details the current state of Apple’s delayed effort to upgrade Siri for the modern era.
Apple has considered Google’s Gemini AI as a potential solution to fuel the AI-powered version of Siri that’s currently in development. No decision has been made, however, as Apple also tests its own AI models as well as OpenAI and Anthropic models.
The new development today is that Apple and Google have “reached a formal agreement this week for Apple to evaluate and test a Google-developed AI model to help power the voice assistant,” according to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg.
The move follows a major court decision yesterday that essentially allowed Apple to continue receiving tens of billions of dollars in revenue from Google over its search engine being the default choice in Safari.
Apple has been open about wanting to integrate with Google’s Gemini AI since June 2024. When Apple announced Apple Intelligence with optional ChatGPT integration for world knowledge, it named Google’s Gemini as a future candidate for being a data provider.
No deal has reportedly been reached due to the pending court decision, but Apple is now free to continue the status quo with Google.
However, there’s another major detail in Mark Gurman’s latest reporting. According to Gurman, Apple is developing an AI-powered search product it calls World Knowledge Answers. The report says the AI-backed web search feature is being targeted for release next year. Gurman connects the Gemini test deal to the Answers project, saying that Google’s AI models could potentially run the AI search tool.
If Apple does use Gemini for the enhanced Siri product, Gurman reports that Google’s AI models will run on Apple’s Private Cloud Compute servers. Separately, Apple plans to always use its models and servers for AI features involving user data.
Lastly, Gurman says that Apple is no longer considering Perplexity as an acquisition target. Perplexity specializes in using models from leading AI companies to power its own search product. The AI startup had more appeal when Apple risked losing its business arrangements with Google Search.
Apple announced the updated version of Siri at WWDC 2024. The company planned to release the more capable version during the iOS 18 release cycle, but officially delayed the project earlier this year. Apple is now expected to complete the project in time for a spring arrival in 2026.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.