Apple in talks with Google to give Siri a Gemini brain

Apple is reportedly in preliminary discussions with Google to integrate the tech giant's Gemini AI into a new version of Siri. This news comes from a report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, highlighting Apple's ambition to revamp its voice assistant significantly. The initial announcement of this Siri update was made at the WWDC 2024 event; however, it has faced delays exceeding a year due to engineering challenges. The Cupertino-based company has reached out to Google to investigate the development of a custom AI model that would power the next iteration of Siri, set to debut next year. Additionally, Google is in the process of training a model capable of operating on Apple's servers, paving the way for a collaborative effort. Before approaching Google, Apple had also considered potential partnerships with Anthropic and OpenAI, evaluating whether either Claude or ChatGPT could serve as the foundation for the new Siri. A final decision regarding which AI model to adopt is expected in the coming weeks, and Apple has not completely dismissed the idea of utilizing its in-house AI models. Internally, Apple is conducting a 'bake-off' to determine the most effective approach. The company is reportedly developing two distinct versions of Siri: one named Linwood, which relies on its proprietary AI models, and another called Glenwood, which would utilize external AI solutions. Initially, Apple executives showed a preference for Anthropic; however, the financial demands from the startup led Apple to explore additional options. If Apple chooses to collaborate with third-party models for Siri, it is likely that these will be processed via its Private Cloud Compute servers, which leverage Mac chips for remote AI tasks. This arrangement suggests that the new Siri will not operate directly on devices. These current discussions are distinct from Apple's ongoing efforts to integrate chatbots into its Apple Intelligence platform, which currently utilizes ChatGPT for handling more complex queries. Furthermore, Apple has confirmed it is also seeking a similar partnership with Google for its AI initiatives.