Apple and Google are in discussions to include Google’s Gemini AI inside iPhones, according to Bloomberg. This would enable both businesses to take against OpenAI and its (heavily invested) partner Microsoft. Though it may appear to be an acknowledgement that Apple is falling behind in the field of artificial intelligence, the collaboration makes sense if you consider generative AI models as an advancement of web browsing, which Google currently offers on all Apple devices. The article suggests that Apple’s models may be included into the next iOS 18 for on-device AI activities, while Gemini may serve as the cloud-based generative AI engine for Siri and other iPhone apps.
As per Bloomberg, Apple has also discussed utilizing its own models with OpenAI. It may even choose to work with Anthropic or another AI company. It is possible that Apple will collaborate with several partners before its own generative models are sufficient. In light of the fact that Google is currently providing Apple with millions of dollars to enable search on the Safari browser, collaborating with the search engine behemoth makes the most sense.
Apple needs some sort of generative AI solution that it can implement this year (its own Ajax model will likely take years to match Gemini and OpenAI), and Google needs a quick way to bring its AI smarts to billions of devices.
There are regulatory concerns to consider — the Department of Justice has already sued Google over its search dominance, including the way it pays Apple and other companies to use its search engine. But given the specter of Microsoft and OpenAI’s partnership — which turned the Bing search engine into an artificial intelligence hype machine overnight, and is now powering all of Microsoft’s Copilot AI solutions — the potential gains could be worth the risk for Apple and Google.
There are still technical issues for Google to deal with too: Gemini was recently under fire for inaccurately rendering historical images. But even considering potential growing pains, a partnership with Apple helps both companies. And it also gives Apple room to develop its own models while OpenAI and Google deal with the growing pains of generative AI.
