The “more intelligent” version of Siri that Apple plans to release later this year will be backed by Google’s Gemini language models, the company announced today. CNBC reports that the deal is part of a “multi-year partnership” between Apple and Google that will allow Apple to use Google’s AI models in its own software.
“After careful evaluation, we determined that Google’s technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models and we’re excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for our users,” reads an Apple statement given to CNBC.
Today’s announcement confirms reporting by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman late last year that Apple and Google were nearing a deal. Apple didn’t disclose terms, but Gurman said that Apple would be paying Google “about $1 billion a year” for access to its AI models “following an extensive evaluation period.”
Bloomberg has also reported that the Gemini model would be run on Apple’s Private Cloud Compute servers, “ensuring that user data remains walled off from Google’s infrastructure,” and that Apple still hopes to improve its own in-house language models to the point that they can eventually be used instead of relying on third-party models.