Gemini to support future Apple AI models
Apple is entering a multiyear partnership with Google to support its next generation of artificial intelligence features, including a major upgrade to Siri expected later this year. The collaboration will rely on Google’s Gemini models and cloud technology to underpin Apple’s future foundation models, according to a joint statement obtained by CNBC.
Apple said it selected Google after an internal evaluation of available technologies, concluding that Gemini offered the most capable foundation for its AI ambitions. Despite the partnership, the companies confirmed that the models will continue to run on Apple devices and within Apple’s private cloud infrastructure.
Financial terms remain undisclosed
Neither company disclosed the financial terms of the agreement. Apple declined to comment beyond the joint statement, while Google referred questions back to the same release. Earlier reports from Bloomberg suggested Apple had been considering a custom Gemini model for Siri and was prepared to pay roughly $1 billion annually for access to Google’s AI technology.
The deal adds to an already lucrative relationship between the two companies, as Google continues to pay Apple billions of dollars each year to remain the default search engine on iPhones.
Signal of Google’s AI resurgence
The partnership highlights growing confidence in Google’s accelerating AI strategy and its comeback against competitors such as OpenAI. In 2025, Google recorded its strongest performance since 2009 and recently surpassed Apple in market capitalization for the first time in several years.
Regulatory pressure had briefly threatened Google’s ability to strike such deals after it was found to hold an illegal monopoly in online search. However, a court ruling in September avoided a forced breakup of its Chrome browser business, clearing the way for continued partnerships.
Pressure mounts on Apple to deliver
Apple has largely avoided the intense AI spending race that has swept through the technology sector since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022. Rivals such as Amazon, Meta Platforms and Microsoft have invested heavily in AI infrastructure and products, increasing pressure on Apple to deliver a compelling Siri overhaul.
The company previously delayed its advanced Siri features until 2026, acknowledging the complexity of the rollout. Apple currently integrates OpenAI’s ChatGPT into Siri and Apple Intelligence for more complex queries, and said the Google partnership does not change that existing agreement.
Gemini momentum continues
Google has continued to build momentum in artificial intelligence, launching its upgraded Gemini 3 model late last year. The company’s cloud business has also accelerated, with CEO Sundar Pichai noting that deals worth more than $1 billion through the third quarter of 2025 exceeded those signed in the previous two years combined.
While shares of Google rose following news of the partnership before easing back, the agreement underscores the shifting balance in the AI landscape as Apple prepares to integrate more advanced intelligence into its ecosystem.