Elon Musk had publicly said that he hoped that Apple and xAI would work together on AI, but now that Apple has chosen to go with Gemini, he’s trained his guns on Google.
The billionaire entrepreneur took to X to criticize the newly announced partnership between Apple and Google, warning that the deal represents an “unreasonable concentration of power for Google, given that they also have Android and Chrome.”
Musk’s comment came in response to a joint statement from Google announcing the multi-year collaboration under which the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google’s Gemini models and cloud technology. These models will help power future Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalized Siri coming this year.
“After careful evaluation, Apple determined that Google’s AI technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models and is excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for Apple users,” the statement read. “Apple Intelligence will continue to run on Apple devices and Private Cloud Compute, while maintaining Apple’s industry-leading privacy standards.”
A Personal Blow for Musk
The deal represents a bit of a setback for Musk, who had openly expressed hope that xAI and Apple would partner together. Back in July 2025, when an X user speculated about potential AI partnerships for Apple, another user suggested: “They will end up working with xAI. It’s the better option.” Musk had replied enthusiastically, “I hope so!”
At the time, a partnership between Apple and xAI seemed plausible. With Grok 4, xAI had created a frontier model that beaten OpenAI and Google on many benchmarks. xAI also didn’t have ambitions in the consumer hardware space that would put it in direct competition with Apple, unlike OpenAI, which has partnered with former Apple designer Jony Ive to create an AI-first hardware device.
For xAI, an Apple partnership could have been transformative. While Grok has powerful models, it has little to no public visibility outside of X, and xAI lacks the distribution heft of Google or OpenAI. Integrating with Apple could have taken Grok to the masses while providing a massive new customer to boost revenues.
However, potential complications existed. Musk has positioned Grok as a maximally truth-seeking AI and the least politically correct frontier model by far. Apple, being a conservative company protective of its reputation, might have been wary of controversies that Grok could create.
Antitrust Concerns
Musk’s criticism about Google’s concentration of power raises some antitrust concerns. While it lags ChatGPT in the AI space, it already dominates multiple critical technology sectors: it controls the Android operating system that powers the majority of smartphones worldwide, Chrome is the world’s most popular web browser, and Google Search remains the default search engine on Apple devices through a partnership estimated to be worth $20 billion annually to Apple.
Now, with Google’s Gemini models powering Apple’s AI features, the search giant will have influence over AI experiences on both major mobile platforms—Android through its own integration and iOS through the Apple partnership. This gives Google unprecedented reach into how billions of users interact with artificial intelligence on their devices.
For Musk and xAI, Apple’s choice to partner with an established tech giant rather than a newer AI startup represents a missed opportunity to challenge Google’s growing dominance in the AI space. Instead, the deal further entrenches Google’s position as a leader in multiple technology sectors, from search and browsing to mobile operating systems and now, voice assistants and AI features on the world’s most valuable consumer devices.