Apple Taps Rival Google's 1.2-Trillion-Parameter AI Model To Power Siri
Remember when the iPhone 16 launched in September 2024 and Apple promised "Apple Intelligence" features, such as an AI-powered Siri upgrade capable of handling autonomous tasks, that never fully materialized.
For now, Apple will integrate Google's 1.2 trillion-parameter Gemini model to overhaul Siri, the most alarming sign yet that Tim Cook has to rely on outside AI technology.
This AI agreement will cost Cook $1 billion annually until Siri's upcoming "Linwood" upgrade, targeted for iOS 26.4 next spring, will feature an in-house 1-trillion-parameter model, according to Bloomberg, citing people with knowledge of the matter.
Here are some key details on why Apple is turning to Google for AI support:
Gemini will handle Siri's summarizer and planner functions, allowing for more complex reasoning and contextual understanding, while Apple's own smaller models continue managing simpler requests.
The Gemini model will operate on Apple's Private Cloud Compute servers, keeping user data isolated from Google.
Apple tested OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude but ultimately went with Google's model.
Shares of Apple and Google initially jumped on the news, but the gains quickly faded.
In short, one of the world's largest tech giants missed the AI hype cycle - unable to deliver a viable product for consumers and forced to rely on a rival's technology instead. Whether this marks the peak of the AI hype cycle or the beginning of Apple's fading appeal, one thing is clear: Tim Cook now depends on Google, a sobering reality for the company worth nearly $4 trillion.
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