New blockbuster deal between Apple and Google

Apple is expected to pay $1 billion a year to Google, using the Gemini model for the new version of Siri assistant.

Apple Intelligence's Writing Tools now supports Vietnamese, and content can be created via ChatGPT. Photo: Tuan Anh .

According to Bloomberg , Apple plans to spend $1 billion a year to use Google's 1,200 billion parameter AI model, expected to be equipped on the new version of Siri assistant.

“After a period of careful evaluation, the two companies are finalizing a deal that will allow Apple to access Google technology,” said Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman.

The 1,200 billion parameter figure far exceeds the models currently used by Apple. Apple hopes Google technology can help rebuild Siri's foundation, thereby releasing a series of new features in 2026.

Gemini will help Siri

Apple considered using third-party models for the next version of Siri. After testing Gemini, ChatGPT, and Claude, the company decided to go with the Google model. The technology is intended to be used as a stopgap until Apple's model is strong enough.

The new Siri is rumored to be widely available as early as 2026. With a few months to go, details of the plan and the partners Apple chooses could still change. Apple and Google stocks both jumped after the news broke.

The custom Gemini model is more powerful than the 150 billion parameter model currently used for Apple's Intelligence toolset. Gurman said the move significantly increases the system's power, ability to handle complex data and understand context.

Samsung smartphones use Gemini chatbot for some AI features. Photo: Bloomberg .

Internally known as Glenwood, the Siri development project with third-party models is led by Mike Rockwell, Director of Vision Pro, and Craig Federighi, Director of Software Engineering. Expected to launch with iOS 26.4, Apple's new voice assistant is codenamed Linwood.

Gemini is planned to handle summarizing and planning, helping Siri synthesize information and process complex tasks. Several other Siri features are expected to continue using the internal model.

The model also runs on Private Cloud Compute servers, ensuring that user data is not transferred to Google servers. Apple is said to have equipped the appropriate infrastructure to operate the model.

Despite the value, Gurman said Apple is unlikely to publicize the deal. Instead, the company is pitching Google as a technology provider, which is different from the deal to make Google Search the default on its Safari browser.

“This deal is also separate from plans to integrate Gemini directly into Siri as a chatbot. Discussions progressed well in late 2024 and early this year, but failed to materialize. This partnership also does not include Google Search AI,” the Bloomberg writer emphasized.

Do not want to use long term

During the most recent quarterly financial report announcement, Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed that Siri could integrate other chatbots, besides ChatGPT as it is now.

In fact, Apple is not the only company using Gemini for AI tools. Snap and a number of large companies also take advantage of the Vertex AI platform from Google. However, for Apple, this move implicitly admits that the Apple is lagging in the field of AI, willing to use third-party technology to catch up with competitors.

Gurman said Apple has no plans to use Gemini long-term. Despite losing some of its AI talent, the company still wants to develop its own models, aiming to replace Gemini with an in-house solution by the end of next year.

Some Siri features supported by ChatGPT. Photo: Apple .

“With the above goal, the modeling team at the company is researching a cloud model with 1,000 billion parameters, expecting to equip users as early as next year.

Apple executives believe the model can reach the same quality as the custom Gemini version. However, Google itself is constantly improving Gemini, so catching up is not easy,” Gurman emphasized.

Gemini version 2.5 Pro is now at the forefront of large language modeling (LLM), the foundation of generative AI tools.

Apple is also pushing ahead with its strategy to release new versions of Apple Intelligence and Siri in China. However, due to the Google ban, the local version of Siri is unlikely to be equipped with Gemini.

In China, Apple Intelligence is expected to use an internal model, combined with content filtering developed by Alibaba. Apple also plans to cooperate with Baidu to provide AI services in the country of a billion people.

Source: https://znews.vn/ai-apple-co-the-dung-cong-nghe-cua-google-post1600719.html