In a surprising turn of events that signals a shift in the tech industry’s AI landscape, Apple has announced a multi-year partnership with rival Google to power its next-generation Siri voice assistant using Google’s powerful Gemini artificial intelligence models.
The deal — confirmed by both companies in a joint statement this week — means Apple will use Google’s Gemini models and cloud infrastructure as the foundation for the future of Apple Intelligence, including a more personalised and capable version of Siri expected later in 2026.
Why This Matters
Siri, Apple’s built-in digital assistant, has long lagged behind competitors such as Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa in handling complex, conversational tasks. The integration of Gemini represents Apple’s most significant AI investment yet and is intended to finally bring Siri up to par with the latest generative AI capabilities.
Apple said it chose Google after a “careful evaluation” of several AI technologies, concluding that Gemini currently offers the most capable foundation for its needs. While Apple previously engaged with OpenAI’s ChatGPT and explored other models, Google’s solution emerged as its primary choice.
What’s Next for Siri
The upgraded Siri — which could debut with iOS 26.4 as soon as this spring — is expected to bring a range of new capabilities, including:
- Enhanced factual world knowledge and conversational responses
- Improved personalization based on user context
- Deeper integration with apps and on-screen actions
- Expanded support for everyday tasks such as scheduling, travel planning and content creation
This marks a departure from Siri’s traditional focus on basic voice commands, positioning it instead as a more proactive and intelligent assistant.
Balancing Power and Privacy
Despite outsourcing the core AI foundation to Google, Apple emphasises that user privacy remains a priority. The company says that most AI functions will continue to run on-device or through its Private Cloud Compute system, ensuring user data isn’t freely shared with Google’s infrastructure.
Industry Impact
The partnership boosts Google’s presence across Apple’s massive global device ecosystem — more than two billion active devices — and highlights how even industry giants are willing to collaborate in the rapidly evolving AI race.
However, the move also raises questions about the balance of power in AI, given the deepening ties between two competitors traditionally known for rivalry. Experts say it could reshape future cooperation and competition — especially with other AI leaders like OpenAI.
