Add Google Gemini to the list of AIs that might go into the promised revamp of the Siri voice assistant if Apple can’t develop the tech itself.
Apple is working hard on its own large language models to provide Siri with a much-needed intelligence boost. But Cupertino is reportedly covering its bases by talking to other companies about using their AI instead. Google joined the list, according to an unconfirmed report published Friday.
Google Gemini might power Apple’s smarter Siri
In 2024, Apple promised “the start of a new era for Siri” thanks to a hefty infusion of artificial intelligence. The company laid out a glowing future for the voice assistant, but more than a year later, it’s yet to emerge. At this point, the big Siri update is expected in spring 2026.
The major reason for the delay, according to Apple executives, is a struggle to develop in-house large language models to power the AI. To lower the chances of further delays, the iPhone maker is considering bringing in tech from big-name AI developers.
A previous leak indicated that Apple engaged in talks with Anthropic and OpenAI about using Claude or ChatGPT in the Siri upgrade. Now, Google Gemini is reportedly a possibility for powering the smarter Siri.
“Executives had long viewed Anthropic as the leading candidate for a partnership, but the financial terms demanded by that company led Apple to broaden the search and bring others into the mix,” Bloomberg reported Friday. That resulted in negotiations with Google that might put Gemini at the heart of the AI-powered Siri.
These have progressed to the point that “Google has started training a model that could run on Apple’s servers,” according to Bloomberg.
Google Gemini to save Siri? Nothing’s definite yet.
At the same time, Apple continues to develop its own AI. Outsourcing is just a possibility.
“Internally, Apple is holding a bake-off to see which approach will work best,” said Bloomberg. “The company is simultaneously developing two versions of the new Siri: one dubbed Linwood that is powered by its models and another code-named Glenwood that runs on outside technology.”
A final decision reportedly remains weeks away about using Google Gemini, or other third-party AIs, to boost Siri. Apple would surely prefer to use its own LLMs, but outsourcing is preferable to being forced to push back the release of the Siri revamp again. Having to do so once was a serious black eye for the company.
What to expect from an AI-enhanced Siri
Ideally, the smarter Siri, as shown in a video at WWDC last year, would be capable of doing almost anything an iPhone user can do. The current version of Siri can execute simple commands like “turn on the kitchen light.” The future Siri promises to handle complicated instructions such as “send the photos from the cookout on Saturday to Malia.”
If Apple needs to tap Google Gemini to make the smarter Siri happen, so be it.
Apple’s AI efforts, dubbed Apple Intelligence, focus on typical users. An average iPhone user doesn’t need AI to generate a heist movie starring puppets, as some rivals can do. So that sort of advanced capability will not become a part of Siri.
Instead, the goal is to make the voice-driven system better at understanding what users want and performing complex everyday tasks. Apple calls it “AI for the rest of us.”
