Siri powered by Gemini: what the Apple-Google deal really reveals • Martech Cloud

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It's a tiny press release. Just eight lines, published discreetly on the "Inside Google" blog. And yet, the effect is that ofa shockwave in the technological ecosystem and in the artificial intelligence marketThe text is entitled "Joint statement from Google and Apple" and officially announces an agreement between two companies that appear to be diametrically opposed, but which have never ceased to cooperate when their interests converge.

“Apple and Google have entered into a multi-year collaboration under which the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google's Gemini models and cloud technology. These models will help power future Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalized Siri coming this year. After careful evaluation«
source: Inside Google

The press release specifies that Apple and Google have entered into a collaboration multi-year. The next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on the Gemini models from Google and its cloud infrastructure. These models are intended to power future Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalized version of Siri announced for this year. Apple adds that these developments will continue to adhere to its privacy standards, through local execution on the device and the Private Cloud Compute architecture.

The reading is quick, but the implications are profound. Apple is publicly acknowledging that it will trust Google's AI technology to improve the Siri experience. This decision raises many questions, both strategic and technical.

From a strategic point of view

The first question is almost obvious: Are Apple and Google still truly competitors? Recent history shows that this type of partnership is not exceptional. Google has been Safari's default search engine for many years, as part of a major financial and strategic agreement that is regularly reviewed by competition authorities.

Apple has always adopted a pragmatic approach. When its internal technology is deemed insufficiently mature, the company doesn't hesitate to rely on an external partner, provided it retains control over the interface, the user experience, and the relationship with its customers. The Gemini agreement is consistent with this approach.

However, this partnership raises a central question: How far is Apple willing to delegate? A building block as strategic as conversational artificial intelligence? Siri is not just another service. It constitutes a key interface between the user and the entire Apple ecosystem.

From a technical point of view

From a technical standpoint, this announcement can be interpreted as a strategic adjustment. Apple has already unveiled the foundations of Apple Intelligence, an architecture designed to orchestrate different AI models, whether proprietary or from external partners.

Until now, ChatGPT held this role of preferred partner. The integration announced in 2024 allowed Siri to occasionally leverage OpenAI's conversational capabilities.

But this integration remained limited. Certain deep actions within the Apple environment remained inaccessible, notably advanced control of Home, the connected home, or fine-grained interaction with system services.

Gemini appears here as a more integrable alternative, potentially better suited to a native contextual assistant logic.

Apple Intelligence All-new powers — Apple Intelligence site capture

The press release does not specify, however, whether this choice calls into question the existing partnership with OpenAI or whether it is a temporary cohabitation.

From a market perspective

In an AI market that has become extremely competitive, Apple seems to be opting for caution. In the short term, the company is refraining from imposing its own models as the primary foundation of Siri. But this choice is not unprecedented in its history.

Apple has adopted similar strategies in the past. In the processor sector, the company switched from Motorola to Intel before developing its own Apple Silicon chips. This approach of waiting for technological maturity before internalizing a strategic component could now be applied to generative AI.

Gemini would then play the role of an intermediate solution, allowing Apple to continue to develop Siri without exposing its users to a technology deemed insufficiently developed.

Who emerges as the winner from this agreement?

In the short term, Google appears to be the main beneficiary of this announcement. Long criticized for lagging behind OpenAI, Google has obtained a major strategic validation here. Being chosen by Apple as the technological foundation for Siri sends an extremely strong signal to the market.

The announcement was also well received by investors, reinforcing Gemini's credibility as a leading AI platform.

Who comes out the loser?

OpenAI

Although Apple has not officially announced any changes regarding the current integration of ChatGPT, OpenAI appears to be the big loser in this announcement.Sam Altman's company loses the opportunity to be natively and sustainably integrated into the heart of the Apple ecosystem, an exceptional strategic position.

This loss comes at a time when OpenAI is facing increasing financial pressure, linked to the massive costs of training and operating its models.

anthropic

Anthropic is pursuing a more discreet strategy, focused on security and professional uses. However, the Apple-Google agreement limits its prospects for large-scale consumer integration. This is despite rumors of discussions with Tim Cook mentioned a few months ago in TheVerge.

Grok AI

In a fit of what could be interpreted as jealousy, Elon Musk reacted almost immediately to the announcement, via a public message expressing his frustration.

This reaction illustrates the extreme nervousness that reigns in the AI market, where every structuring partnership can reshuffle the cards.

Mistral AI

The French tech startup Mistral AI remains a contender. The company is forging numerous strategic partnerships, particularly with banking and institutional players, and has recently been involved in initiatives with the Wikimedia Foundation. While Mistral may not be competing on the same level as Apple or Google, its trajectory is definitely one to watch.

AI goal

Meta is still struggling to gain traction in the field of generative AI. After massive investments in the metaverse (some say $70 billion), the company is trying to reposition itself in AI, without yet managing to establish itself as a leading player.

What's next for Apple Intelligence?

We note for the moment Apple's silent position, which has not (yet?) communicated on this announcement.
Although Google's announcement had a "bombshell" effect, it looks like a cautious, even wait-and-see, position on Apple's part, which could well be an integral part of their strategy.

Apple now has a sufficiently robust architecture agnostic to test different technologies without becoming locked into a lasting dependency. Gemini could be just a large-scale test, before other, as yet unknown, developments.

Conclusion

Numerous articles have already attempted to interpret this joint announcement. Journalists are speculating, markets are reacting, and analysts are remaining cautious.

Ultimately, the users will be the true arbiters. Users will ultimately decide, through experience, whether this new version of Siri, enhanced by Gemini, lives up to its promises. In the meantime, they are eagerly awaiting the next update, impatient to discover what this conversational voice assistant will truly offer them.

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