According to a report from Bloomberg, Apple is in talks with Google for a significant collaboration aimed at harnessing the power of the Gemini AI model for iPhone features. This potential partnership would give Google a strong foothold, considering its existing deal with Apple as the preferred search engine provider for Safari on iPhones.
Sources familiar with the matter revealed to Bloomberg that Apple is considering licensing Google’s AI technology to introduce AI-driven features through iOS updates later this year. Additionally, discussions have also been held with OpenAI regarding the possibility of utilizing GPT models.
Apple is under increasing pressure to compete in the AI arena against rivals such as OpenAI, Microsoft, Anthropic, and Google. In February, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced plans to unveil Gen-AI features “later this year.”
Despite indications from Apple’s job listings suggesting internal efforts in generative AI, the exploration of third-party AI technologies suggests that Apple’s progress in its own AI initiatives may not be as advanced as expected.
While some on-device features in the upcoming iOS 18 update may be powered by Apple’s own models, the company is considering partnering with external providers for generative AI applications like image creation and writing assistance.
However, Google has faced challenges with Gemini, including historical inaccuracies in generated images leading to a temporary pause in its image-generation feature. Google CEO Sundar Pichai deemed Gemini’s responses “completely unacceptable.” Additionally, Google recently announced blocking election-related queries on Gemini worldwide, although TechCrunch discovered ways to bypass these restrictions.
Despite setbacks, Google has an edge in launching smartphone-related features, having recently partnered with Samsung to introduce Gemini-powered AI features on the Galaxy S24 series and integrating them into its Pixel series.
