Apple has just confirmed it’s teaming up with Google to give Siri a serious boost.
In a joint statement, the two tech giants described it as a multi-year partnership, one that will “lean on Google’s Gemini models and cloud technology for future Apple foundational models.”
This confirms the rumours that have been swirling since August, when Bloomberg first reported the early talks and later suggested the deal could be worth around a billion dollars a year (~RM4.05 billion) to Google.
Despite leaning on Google’s tech, Apple was keen to note that the models will still run on its own infrastructure – meaning on-device processing and through its private cloud compute system. It’s a move that clearly aims to keep their famous privacy and security promises intact, even while borrowing some outside brainpower.
Of course, this raises a few questions about Apple’s existing AI friendships. Remember, they’re already partnered with OpenAI to weave ChatGPT into Siri and Apple Intelligence. So what happens to that arrangement now? Apple told CNBC that there are no immediate changes to the OpenAI agreement. But with Google now firmly in the picture for the long term, you’ve got to wonder how the dynamics might shift down the line.