Apple is considering using Google's Gemini to power its redesigned Siri

Bloomberg reports that Apple is in early discussions to use Google's AI assistant, Gemini, to revamp its own voice assistant, Siri.

Apple Explores Using Google Gemini AI to Power Revamped Siri - Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-22/apple-explores-using-google-gemini-ai-to-power-revamped-siri

Apple may use Google Gemini for its big Siri overhaul | Mashable
https://mashable.com/article/apple-siri-upgrade-google-gemini

According to sources, Apple has approached Google's parent company, Alphabet, to discuss building a custom AI model that will serve as the foundation for a new Siri, scheduled for release in 2026. Google has already begun training a model that can run on Apple's servers, the people said. The people asked not to be identified because the discussions between Apple and Alphabet are private.

This initiative is part of Apple's efforts to catch up after being a latecomer in the field of generative AI. As of early 2025, Apple has also been exploring partnerships with Anthropic and OpenAI to explore which AI to use as Siri's 'new brain.'

Apple may abandon in-house AI development to revamp Siri and adopt AI from OpenAI and Anthropic - GIGAZINE

Apple has not yet made a final decision on whether to continue using an in-house development model for Siri or move to an external partner model, and if it does use AI models from external partners, it has not yet determined which companies they will partner with.

This potential change of direction comes after a major upgrade to Siri was delayed, which would have leveraged personal data to carry out commands and allowed users to control devices solely through voice. The new Siri was originally scheduled to be released in spring 2025, but has now been pushed back by a year due to engineering issues.

Apple confirms that the release of Apple Intelligence's 'evolved Siri' has been delayed to 2026 - GIGAZINE

Due to the delay in the release of the new Siri, AI head John Giannandrea has been removed from the Siri development team, and at the time of writing, Craig Federighi, head of software, and Mike Rockwell, head of development for Apple Vision Pro, are leading the effort to seek external collaboration.

The new Siri was initially designed based on technology from the Apple Foundation Models team, which also develops the on-device large-scale language models (LLMs) that power Apple Intelligence features like summarization and custom emoji generation. To bring the delayed features to market, Federighi, Rockwell, and a team led by Head of Corporate Development Adrian Perica have met with Anthropic and OpenAI to explore potential partnerships.

An internal 'bake-off' is underway, with two new Siri models being developed in parallel: 'Linwood,' based on Apple's own model, and 'Glenwood,' which uses external technology.

Initially, Anthropic was Apple's top candidate for a partnership, but due to the contract terms that Anthropic demanded, Apple is currently considering partnering with other companies.

These discussions are apparently completely separate from the integration of chat AI into Apple Intelligence. Apple is integrating ChatGPT into Siri to improve support for general knowledge queries. Furthermore, Apple and Google have already publicly hinted at plans to integrate Gemini into Siri.

While Apple and Google compete in the development of smartphones, operating systems, and services, they have partnered on search engines, with Google paying hundreds of billions of yen annually to set Google Search as the default search engine in Apple's browser. However, this agreement is currently under investigation by the US Department of Justice for antitrust violations and may be invalidated in the future.

What harm does Google's monopoly on the search engine market cause to users? Is there a way to correct the monopoly? - GIGAZINE

The company is also considering using Gemini for Siri, which is currently in the exploratory stage. Google has previously provided its own AI features to Samsung smartphones and other devices.

Meanwhile, Apple's AI model team continues to be in turmoil. In July, Chief Architect Luoming Pan moved to Meta. According to reports, Pan received a total compensation package of $200 million and a senior role in the company's Superintelligence Labs. Since Pan's departure, several Apple employees have moved to Meta, and many of the remaining members are reportedly seeking employment elsewhere. Many employees cited reasons for considering leaving Apple, including concerns about the shift to external technology and receiving high-paying offers.

Meta successfully poached Apple's head of AI models, as Mark Zuckerberg continues to steal talent from competitors - GIGAZINE

Some software engineering executives are also reportedly considering replacing models used for AI functions other than Siri. However, this is a departure from Apple's previous emphasis on in-house AI control. Apple has prioritized in-house AI development to ensure security and privacy.

Even if an external model is introduced to Siri, the AI model will run on Apple's 'Private Cloud Compute,' a remote AI processing server using Mac chips, and the external model will not run directly on the device.

Apple releases documents on 'Private Cloud Compute (PCC)' that supports Apple Intelligence cloud processing, and also sets new rewards of up to 150 million yen - GIGAZINE

Bloomberg points out that Apple is several years behind its competitors in the field of AI, and that management is exploring various options. At a company-wide meeting held in August 2025, CEO Tim Cook emphasized Apple's investment in AI, saying, 'Apple will definitely do AI' and 'We will invest in that.'

Apple CEO Tim Cook said at an unusual company-wide meeting that 'Apple will definitely do AI' and 'will invest in it,' and also explained the reasons for the delay in the development of Siri.