Apple eyes Google Gemini for Siri upgrade

Insiders say that Apple is in talks to use Google Gemini to beef up its already AI-enhanced iOS assistant.

First reported by Bloomberg News, the anticipated Siri upgrade — now slated for a potential 2026 release — may come as a customized LLM powered by Google's own Gemini chatbot. It's the latest in Apple's months-long exploration of external partnerships.

Sources familiar with the company told Bloomberg that Apple approached Google's parent company, Alphabet Inc., about a custom model, and Google, in turn, has been testing a model that can run on Apple's servers.

In June, rumors circulated that the iPhone creator may shelve its plans to build an in-house LLM to power a better Siri in addition to its Apple Intelligence features, and was instead seeking a partnership with either OpenAI's ChatGPT or Anthropic's Claude. Internally, the company has been weighing the pros and cons of an internal Siri AI (dubbed the "Linwood" project) versus an external technology (named "Glenwood").

At the time, Apple's interest in an outsourced Siri AI seemed like a defeat amid a still-expanding AI boom, as the company's rivals poached Apple's own leading AI talent to expand their efforts. But, in just the past month, other Big Tech companies have also decided to scale back their AI investments — a shift that some say signals an end to the AI "bubble."

Neither Apple nor Google confirmed the possible partnership, although both have signaled that a Gemini integration with Apple devices may be on the horizon in addition to their existing Search collaboration. The integration would be similar to previous deals between Apple and ChatGPT.