Apple taps Google’s Gemini to give Siri its long-awaited AI upgrade

In a historic announcement, Apple has confirmed it will use Google Gemini to support the next phase of Siri, marking one of the most consequential shifts in its artificial intelligence roadmap to date.

In a joint statement issued on Monday, Apple and Google said Gemini models will help power future Apple Intelligence features across the iPhone and other Apple devices. Among them is the long-delayed AI-powered Siri overhaul, now expected to arrive in 2026.

The move signals Apple’s willingness to lean on external AI expertise as it works to modernise Siri, which has increasingly felt outpaced by rival assistants built on newer large language models.

A pragmatic turn in Apple’s AI playbook

Apple’s approach to AI has been notably cautious. While competitors raced ahead with generative features, Apple promised a more considered rollout, placing privacy, on-device processing, and system-wide integration at the centre of its strategy. Those ambitions were first outlined in 2024, alongside plans for a deeply reworked Siri. Many of those features, however, still remain under development.

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Gemini’s role is to help close that gap. Rather than redefining Apple Intelligence itself, Google’s models will be used to support specific capabilities within Apple’s AI framework, bringing more advanced reasoning, language understanding, and contextual responses to Siri and other experiences.

And this is not Apple’s first partnership in the space. Famously, the company integrated ChatGPT from OpenAI into Siri as an optional feature. Apple has not said whether Gemini will replace or sit alongside existing third-party models.

Rivals by history, partners by necessity

The fact that Apple and Google are working together at all is notable. The two companies are long-time rivals across smartphones, software platforms, and services, even as they maintain deep commercial ties, from search deals to app distribution.

This collaboration underlines how central AI has become to the future of consumer technology, outweighing traditional competitive boundaries.

For Apple users, the promise is straightforward: a Siri that finally feels contemporary. For Apple, the bet is strategic. By pairing its tightly controlled ecosystem with one of the industry’s most capable AI models, the company is aiming to accelerate its AI ambitions without abandoning its core principles.

Details on features and rollout timelines remain limited. What is clear is that Siri’s next chapter will not be written by Apple alone. What do you think of this move? Drop a comment with your thoughts.