Apple has officially made a choice in which AI company will power its assistant, Siri.
The iPhone maker is joining forces with Google to power its artificial intelligence features for products such as Siri later this year. The multi-year partnership will lean on Google’s Gemini models and cloud technology for future Apple foundational models.
“After careful evaluation, we determined that Google’s technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models and we’re excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for our users,” Apple wrote.
The announcement marks a significant shift for Apple, which has mostly stood on the sidelines of the AI frenzy that’s swept up Wall Street since the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT at the end of 2022. The partnership comes after Bloomberg reported in August that Apple was in early talks with Google to use a custom Gemini model to power a new iteration of Siri.
Shares were slightly lower following the news, though Google briefly touched above a $4 trillion market value. Last week, the search giant’s market capitalization surpassed Apple for the first time since 2019.
The deal significantly amps up the pressure on the iPhone maker to deliver an impressive Siri AI voice upgrade, which it delayed last year until 2026, despite running ads for the product. “It’s going to take us longer than we thought to deliver on these features and we anticipate rolling them out in the coming year,” the company said in a statement at the time.
Gemini’s Remarkable Resurgence
Google’s selection as Apple’s AI partner comes on the heels of a remarkable comeback for Gemini in recent months. The AI assistant has surged in popularity following the successful launches of its Gemini 2.5 Pro and Gemini 3.0 Pro models, along with innovative image editing capabilities through models like Nano Banana.
The numbers tell a compelling story: Gemini now commands more than 20% market share in terms of traffic, while ChatGPT has declined to 64%. Gemini has become the 19th most visited site in the world, a testament to its growing adoption among users seeking AI-powered assistance.
This traction would’ve likely convinced Apple that Google could deliver the strong, reliable performance needed for such a critical partnership. The tech giant has made steady progress on its AI agenda, introducing its upgraded Gemini 3 model late last year. In October, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said the company’s cloud segment signed more deals worth more than $1 billion through the third quarter of 2025 than the previous two years combined.
For Apple, choosing Google over AI startups like OpenAI, Anthropic, or xAI was likely the safer choice for several reasons. The companies already have an established relationship, with Apple partnering with Google to power search on iOS devices. This existing infrastructure and trust made Google a natural fit for such a strategic AI integration.
While hyperscalers including Amazon, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft are shelling out billions on AI products and tools for their customers, Apple’s partnership with Google positions the company to finally deliver on its AI promises without having to build everything from scratch—a pragmatic approach that leverages proven technology while maintaining focus on the user experience Apple is known for.