The Siri Shakeup: Apple's Secretive Move to Enhance Siri with Google's Gemini
In a move that has sparked curiosity and controversy, Apple is reportedly leaning on Google's Gemini AI technology to revolutionize Siri. This partnership, which neither tech giant has officially acknowledged, is set to transform the way Siri operates and could have a significant impact on the AI landscape.
The Inside Story
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple has chosen Google to develop a custom Gemini-based model that will power Siri's major upgrade, scheduled for spring 2026. This decision was made after Apple evaluated AI models from Google and Anthropic, with Google's offering winning out due to its financial terms.
The custom Gemini model is designed to run on Apple's Private Cloud Compute infrastructure, ensuring a seamless integration. However, the lack of official announcements from either company has left many speculating about the details of this collaboration.
What's in the Works?
Bloomberg reports that Google's models will provide the query planner and summarizer components for Siri's new architecture. Apple's Foundation Models will continue managing personal data processing on-device, while the Google-supplied models will run on Apple's servers. This division of labor hints at a strategic partnership where each company leverages its strengths.
The project, codenamed "Glenwood," aims to market the updated Siri as an Apple-centric technology, with Apple positioning itself as the primary innovator. Despite Google's involvement, Apple plans to promote Siri as an Apple-only product, keeping the focus on its brand.
Launch Timeline and Expectations
Apple is targeting spring 2026 for the Siri overhaul, which will be part of iOS 26.4. This upgrade is expected to showcase Siri's expanded capabilities, potentially through a smart home display device. However, the financial terms of the deal, the legal and technical data-handling arrangements, and the finalization of the partnership remain undisclosed.
The Impact and Controversies
A Gemini-powered backend could revolutionize Siri's question-answering capabilities and attribution in AI responses. Even with Apple's branding, the role of Google's technology could be significant. If Bloomberg's report proves accurate, more answers will be generated and presented within Siri and Spotlight on iPhone, potentially reducing early web discovery.
The open questions revolve around the presentation of sources and the traceability of traffic. Will Siri's responses clearly attribute sources, and will user interactions be tracked differently?
Looking Forward
Apple has already integrated ChatGPT access within Siri and Writing Tools as part of Apple Intelligence. Additionally, Anthropic's Claude is available in Xcode 26 for developers. The potential partnership with Google for Siri's core functionality would be Apple's most significant AI arrangement to date, indicating a shift towards more integrated AI solutions.
Stay tuned for official details as we approach the iOS 26.4 release window, where we might uncover more about this intriguing collaboration.
