In a surprising turn of events, Apple has joined forces with Google in a bid to improve the AI element of its virtual assistant, Siri. While many have deemed the collaboration as a step in the right direction for the tech giant, certain analysts have flagged the partnership as concerning, suggesting that it could signal a departure from Apple’s traditional approach of developing in-house tech.
Apple and Google strike deal to provide AI upgrade to Siri
Apple and Google, the two leading companies of the tech industry, have confirmed their “multi-year collaboration” in a joint statement, which would enable the former to leverage Google’s Gemini AI models to power the artificial intelligence element of Siri.
“After careful evaluation, Apple determined that Google’s Al technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models and is excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for Apple users,” the statement read.
The companies also confirmed that despite their partnership, Apple’s Private Cloud Compute system will continue to oversee the Apple Intelligence wing. “Apple Intelligence will continue to run on Apple devices and Private Cloud Compute, while maintaining Apple’s industry-leading privacy standards,” they noted.
Although Apple and Google have claimed that the collaboration would open doors to “innovative new experiences,” several experts have noted that it highlights how the iPhone-makers have become reliant on other organizations when it comes to building AI tools.
“By outsourcing the foundational layer of its AI to Google, Apple is effectively admitting that its internal efforts couldn’t compete with Google’s Gemini in terms of capability and scale in the short term,” IDC analyst Francisco Jeronimo told BBC.
Jeronimo also termed the partnership as “a significant and pragmatic strategy” for the Tim Cook-led organization, adding that “Apple always preferred to own every layer of its technology” and doing so has always given the company “an edge against their competitors”.
However, Jeronimo also did state that while iPhone users won’t be too concerned by Google powering AI features, this collaboration is “likely to be a red flag” for regulators. This is because both companies hold a duopoly in the UK. At the time of writing, the value of Apple’s deal with Google remains unknown.
Originally reported by Apoorv Rastogi on Mandatory.
