Apple's Al U-turn: After betting big on Siri, Cupertino calls Google

In a move that underlines both the urgency of the AI race and the quiet pragmatism behind Cupertino’s famously controlled ecosystem, Apple has announced a multi-year collaboration with Google that will see key Apple services powered by Google’s Gemini AI models. Chief among them is a more personalised version of Siri, slated to roll out later this year as part of future Apple Intelligence updates.

In a joint statement, the two tech giants said the partnership would unlock “innovative new experiences” for Apple users. Behind the carefully worded optimism, however, lies a more revealing subtext. Apple, once the industry’s most confident first mover, is now leaning on an external AI engine to keep pace in a market it arguably underestimated.

Under the agreement, the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google’s Gemini models and cloud technology. These models will underpin forthcoming Apple Intelligence features, including the much-anticipated Siri overhaul. Apple was keen to stress that Apple Intelligence will continue to run on device and on its Private Cloud Compute infrastructure, maintaining what it described as its “industry-leading privacy standards”. This was a subtle nod to the brand’s long-held positioning as the more trustworthy custodian of user data.

After what it called “careful evaluation”, Apple concluded that Google’s AI technology offered “the most capable foundation” for its ambitions. Translation, Gemini was good enough, fast enough, and ready now.

This is not Apple’s first flirtation with third-party AI. In June 2024, it unveiled a high-profile partnership with OpenAI that brought ChatGPT into the Apple Intelligence ecosystem, allowing users to tap the chatbot for writing, image generation and problem-solving tasks. Together, the OpenAI and Google deals suggest a broader shift in Apple’s AI strategy. It is less about going it alone and more about orchestrating best-in-class tools behind its own tightly controlled interface.

The pivot comes after a bruising two years for Apple’s AI narrative. Apple Intelligence was first announced at WWDC 2024 with the promise of a deeply integrated, privacy-first “personal intelligence system” spanning iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia. While initial features rolled out to US users in late October 2024 via iOS 18.1, the staggered delivery failed to match the hype. Matters were made worse when Apple marketed its iPhone 16 lineup with Apple Intelligence as a key USP, only for flagship features to arrive late, or not at all.

The backlash from fans and analysts was swift. For a company synonymous with polish and punctuality, Apple suddenly looked uncharacteristically flat-footed.

By contrast, Google has been sprinting. Gemini has become the centrepiece of its AI-first smartphone strategy, deeply embedded across Pixel devices and aggressively rolled out through Android partners such as Samsung. From on-device summarisation and generative photo tools to conversational assistants positioned as everyday productivity copilots, Google has framed AI not as an add-on, but as the smartphone experience itself.

That dynamic makes the Apple-Google deal as symbolically awkward as it is strategically logical, and it has not gone down well with everyone.

The agreement has stirred friction across the tech world, with critics warning of excessive consolidation of power. Elon Musk was among the most vocal. Responding to coverage of the deal on X, Musk called the collaboration “unreasonable”, adding, “This seems like an unreasonable concentration of power for Google, given that they also have Android and Chrome.” His criticism taps into broader regulatory anxieties around Big Tech partnerships that entrench incumbents while narrowing consumer choice.

This seems like an unreasonable concentration of power for Google, given that the also have Android and Chrome

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 12, 2026

Those concerns are amplified by the fact that the Gemini deal builds on a long-standing and lucrative relationship between the two companies. Google remains the default search engine on Apple devices, an arrangement that funnels traffic to Google while generating tens of billions of dollars in annual revenue for Apple. With AI now layered on top of that foundation, the interdependence between the world’s two most influential consumer tech companies has never been more visible.

For Apple, the calculus is clear. In an era where AI has become the industry’s defining battleground, and a key marketing lever, waiting is no longer an option. Partnering with Google may bruise the brand’s self-image as a self-sufficient innovator, but it buys Apple time, capability and credibility.

The irony, of course, is that the company which once urged users to “think different” is now thinking very similarly to its biggest rival.