Apple may look outside its own walls for a major piece of the iPhone's next AI push. According to Bloomberg, Apple is in talks to license Google's Gemini model for AI features in a future iPhone software update coming later in 2024.
The report also says Apple has held similar talks with OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT. No deal has been finalized, and the terms, branding, and implementation details remain unclear.
What Apple Is Reportedly Considering
The potential agreement would bring Google Gemini into iOS 18 as a cloud-based AI engine. In plain terms, that means some AI features would run off-device rather than entirely on the iPhone itself.
The source article points to features such as creating images or drafting essays from simple prompts. Those kinds of tasks are commonly associated with large language models and other generative AI systems, and they can require more computing power than a phone can comfortably provide on its own.
Apple is not expected to announce any deal until its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June, according to the report. That timing matters because the conference is where Apple typically explains major software changes to developers and the wider market.
For now, the central fact is narrower: Apple is reportedly exploring whether Google's Gemini could supply some of the AI capabilities that would appear in a future iPhone software update.
Why Siri Is Central To The Story
Siri is one of the clearest reasons this reported discussion matters. The voice assistant has been widely criticized, and the source article notes that it trails newer AI assistants powered by large language models in handling complex questions.
A Gemini integration could give Siri new abilities, though the exact implementation is unknown. The report does not say precisely how Gemini would be used inside Siri, only that the model could power AI features like Siri in a future iPhone software update.
Apple has already looked at outside AI tools in this area. In January, 9to5Mac revealed that Apple had tested a beta version of iOS 17.4 using OpenAI's ChatGPT API to power Siri.
That detail suggests Apple has been evaluating more than one path. Google Gemini is one option now being discussed, while OpenAI has also been part of similar talks.
Apple's In-House AI Is Still Part Of The Plan
The reported talks do not mean Apple has stopped building its own AI technology. The source article says Apple has been developing internal AI models, including a large language model codenamed Ajax and a basic chatbot called Apple GPT.
The challenge is timing and capability. Apple's LLM technology is said to lag behind competitors, which makes a partnership with Google or another AI provider more attractive as a fallback solution.
That distinction is important. A cloud AI partner could help Apple add prominent AI features sooner, while Apple continues working on its own systems.
The report also says Apple still plans to use in-house solutions for AI features that run locally on the iPhone device itself. That points to a split approach: outside models for cloud-based tasks, Apple technology for features that stay on the device.
Why Google Gemini Is A Plausible Candidate
Google launched Gemini, a language-based AI assistant similar to ChatGPT, in December and has updated it several times since. The source article says many industry experts consider the larger Gemini models roughly as capable as OpenAI's GPT-4 Turbo, which powers the subscription versions of ChatGPT.
The AI market has moved quickly. Until just recently, with the emergence of Gemini Ultra and Claude 3, OpenAI's top model had a fairly wide lead in perceived LLM capability.
For Apple, that competitive shift matters because it expands the list of viable partners. If Apple wants cloud-based AI features for iPhone users, it can compare Google Gemini, OpenAI technology, and its own internal systems against the product experience it wants to deliver.
The source article does not say Apple has chosen Google. It says the companies are in talks and that similar discussions with OpenAI have also taken place.
The Stakes Go Beyond One Software Update
An Apple-Google AI agreement could have a large impact because Apple's platform represents more than 2 billion active devices worldwide. If Gemini became part of iPhone AI features, Google's technology could gain a major route into mainstream consumer use.
The potential deal would also build on an existing relationship between the two companies. Google already pays Apple billions of dollars annually to make its search engine the default option on iPhones and other Apple devices.
That existing search partnership is also why a new AI deal could draw scrutiny. Bloomberg reports that regulators would likely examine a potential Apple-Google partnership, while the companies' current search deal is already the subject of a lawsuit by the US Department of Justice.
The European Union is also pressuring Apple to make it easier for consumers to change their default search engine away from Google. A new AI arrangement between the same companies would therefore arrive in a sensitive regulatory environment.
For OpenAI, losing the cloud AI role on iPhone to Google could be significant. The source article frames Apple's market as representing billions of users, and a Google selection would limit OpenAI's chance to bring its technology more widely into mainstream iPhone use.
Still, the reported discussions may not define Apple's long-term AI strategy. Any agreement with Google or OpenAI could be a temporary fix while Apple works to bring its own LLM-based AI technology up to speed.