Apple is reportedly looking to enhance its Siri virtual assistant by incorporating third-party artificial intelligence (AI) services. In December 2024, the company introduced Apple Intelligence features for iPhone, iPad, and Mac users with the release of the iOS 18.2 update. This update marked a significant milestone, as it enabled users to direct Siri queries to OpenAI’s ChatGPT for the first time. Recent leaks suggest that Apple may be planning to expand this capability by adding Google’s AI models to the mix.
Apple Could Add Google’s AI Models to Apple Intelligence
MacRumors analyst Aaron Perris discussed the potential partnership in a recent post on X, formerly known as Twitter. He shared a screenshot of code from the beta version of iOS 18.4, suggesting that Apple is exploring the integration of Gemini AI models into its operating system.
The code fragment indicates two options under the “Third-party model” section. While OpenAI’s services are already included, there is now an option for Google as well. However, the specific AI models that could be integrated and the functionalities they may offer remain undisclosed in the code.
This potential development echoes comments made by Craig Federighi, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, during a post-keynote address at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024. Federighi emphasized the company’s plans to incorporate various AI models alongside OpenAI’s chatbot but indicated that there was “nothing to announce right now” regarding specific partnerships.
Nevertheless, it appears that the integration of Gemini AI models may not materialize in the immediate future. Although the code has surfaced in the iOS 18.4 beta, it is likely that users will see these capabilities implemented closer to the launch of the iPhone 17 series. Last year, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman also suggested that Apple might provide OpenAI with a period of exclusivity before bringing other AI services on board.
At present, ChatGPT can be accessed through Siri and is also available via Apple Intelligence’s Writing Tools, which includes a Compose feature allowing users to generate images through the chatbot.
