Apple Turns to Google’s Gemini to Power AI in Siri

The two tech giants announced a partnership Monday (Jan. 12), saying the next iteration of Apple’s Foundational Models will be based on Google’s Gemini models and cloud tech.

These models will help power new features for Apple Intelligence—the company’s AI system—including a more personalized version of its Siri assistant due this year.

“After careful evaluation, Apple determined that Google’s Al technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models and is excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for Apple users,” the announcement said. “Apple Intelligence will continue to run on Apple devices and Private Cloud Compute, while maintaining Apple’s industry-leading privacy standards.”

The announcement follows a report from November by Bloomberg News that Apple was nearing a $1-billion-per-year deal with Google to power the Siri upgrade. The iPhone maker had considered working with other companies to help update Siri, testing models from OpenAI and Anthropic before deciding on Google, that report added.

Writing about Siri last year, PYMNTS noted that the AI assistant, revolutionary at the time it first came to market 15 years ago, had since fallen behind comparable offerings from Google, Amazon and Samsung in terms of employing advanced AI features.

In an interview with PYMNTS, Siri’s original co-designer Luc Julia argued that an obsession with perfection was hamstringing Apple’s efforts to introduce an improved version of Siri faster.

“They are falling behind because of this fear of not being perfect,” said Julia, who is now the chief science officer for French car company Renault.

In other Apple news, PYMNTS wrote last week about the company’s new partnership with JPMorgan Chase, making that bank the new issuer of the Apple Card, replacing Goldman Sachs following a transition period of about two years.

Apple and JPMorgan are advancing in step with larger market dynamics found in PYMNTS Intelligence’s “Embedded Finance as a Strategic Initiative,” that report said.

“Embedded finance, including embedded banking, has moved from optional to foundational across industries,” PYMNTS wrote. “According to the report, 99.8% of surveyed companies now offer at least one embedded finance capability, with banking among the most common features at 69% adoption. Nearly half of firms also offer consumer-focused banking features, such as savings accounts, rewards or early direct deposit.”