Revamping Siri: Apple in early talks with Google for AI integration

Apple Inc. is in early talks with Google to use its Gemini AI models as the foundation for a revamped Siri voice assistant, signalling a potential shift toward integrating third-party AI technology.

Sources told Bloomberg that Google has begun training a model that could run on Apple’s servers.

The discussions come as Apple seeks to catch up in generative AI, where it has lagged behind competitors.

Earlier this year, Apple also explored partnerships with Anthropic and OpenAI to see if Claude or ChatGPT could power Siri. Internally, Apple is developing two versions of Siri: Linwood, based on its own models, and Glenwood, which would use external technology.

Delays to Siri’s planned upgrades—which would enable device navigation entirely via voice—have prompted a leadership shift. AI chief John Giannandrea was sidelined, with software head Craig Federighi and Vision Pro creator Mike Rockwell now overseeing the project. The upgrade had been postponed by a year due to engineering challenges.

Apple’s AI models team continues to experience upheaval, with senior staff departures to other tech firms. Despite this, Apple recently tested its first trillion-parameter model, a significant step from its existing 150-billion-parameter systems, though still behind OpenAI’s several-trillion-parameter models.

The proposed Google Gemini integration would run on Apple’s Private Cloud Compute servers rather than on devices, preserving privacy and security. Talks remain exploratory, and no formal commercial agreement has been reached.

The potential pivot to third-party AI follows Apple’s broader strategy of selectively leveraging external models for some consumer features. For instance, iOS 26 offers ChatGPT for image generation, and a previously planned generative AI coding system was cancelled in favour of using ChatGPT and Claude.

Apple CEO Tim Cook emphasised the company’s urgency in AI, acknowledging that Apple often enters markets later than competitors but aims to deliver superior products.

Shares of both Apple and Google rose after Bloomberg reported the discussions, reflecting investor optimism about potential AI collaboration.

By Tamilla Hasanova