In a significant move that reshapes the artificial intelligence landscape, Apple has officially partnered with Google over Sam Altman's OpenAI for its upcoming Siri enhancements. The decision, revealed during Apple's latest earnings call, was driven by one clear factor: superior technology.
Google's AI Technology Deemed Most Capable
CEO Tim Cook provided straightforward reasoning when questioned about the new Siri collaboration. "We basically determined that Google's AI technology would provide the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models," Cook told analysts during the call. This multi-year agreement will see Google's Gemini models powering a completely revamped Siri experience alongside future Apple Intelligence features scheduled for release later this year.
Collaboration Rather Than Dependence
Cook carefully framed the Google partnership as a strategic collaboration rather than technological dependence. "You should think of it as a collaboration," the CEO emphasized. "And we'll obviously independently continue to do some of our own stuff. But you should think of what is going to power the personalised version of Siri is the collaboration with Google."
The Apple leader also directly addressed privacy concerns that might arise from bringing an external partner into their ecosystem. "We'll continue to run on the device and run in Private Cloud Compute and maintain our industry-leading privacy standards in doing so," Cook assured, indicating that Apple's stringent privacy protocols would remain unchanged despite the partnership.
OpenAI Sidelined in Competitive Selection Process
The selection represents a substantial setback for OpenAI, which had previously announced a ChatGPT integration with Apple at WWDC 2024. That partnership now appears significantly diminished in importance. According to industry reports, OpenAI hadn't been seriously considered for the primary Siri partnership for some time.
Apple conducted extensive testing of multiple AI models before making its final decision. The company evaluated Google's Gemini, OpenAI's ChatGPT, and Anthropic's Claude before ultimately selecting Google earlier this year. Interestingly, Anthropic initially emerged as the frontrunner until its substantial financial requirements prompted Apple to broaden its search parameters.
The turning point came when Google's Gemini 3 model began topping AI leaderboards in November, effectively sealing the partnership agreement between the two tech giants.
AI as Revenue Generation Opportunity
When pressed about monetization strategies, Cook hinted at broader commercial ambitions through AI integration. "We're bringing intelligence to more of what people love, and we're integrating it across the operating system in a personal and private way," he explained. "And I think that by doing so, it creates great value, and that opens up a range of opportunities across our products and services."
While neither company has disclosed specific financial terms, industry reports suggest the arrangement could be worth approximately $1 billion annually. The enhanced Siri experience powered by Google's Gemini technology is expected to debut with iOS 26.4 around March or April of next year, marking a new chapter in Apple's artificial intelligence journey.
