From the outset, Apple announced potential partnerships under its Apple Intelligence initiative. With Siri falling behind, it seems the company is now eager to thrust it into the AI era. According to Bloomberg, they are in discussions with Google to utilize Gemini for the upcoming version of their voice assistant.
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A Completely Redesigned Siri
In recent months, Apple has been working on a complete overhaul of Siri, internally referred to as the second generation. Craig Federighi, Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, has recently described this project as a true revolution. This revamp is expected to finally deliver advanced features of personalization and contextualization that were promised as part of Apple Intelligence on iOS 18.
Apple is currently testing two versions of this future Siri: one based on its own internally developed language models (LLM), and the other using third-party models. It’s worth noting that Gemini is currently being used in several AI systems on Android smartphones, including those by Samsung.
Google, OpenAI, or Anthropic?
According to Bloomberg (citing an anonymous internal source), Apple has requested Google develop a custom Gemini model to run on Private Cloud Compute servers. At this point, Google has reportedly already begun training this specific model.
Previously, rumors indicated that Cupertino had discussions with OpenAI and Anthropic, who had also worked on adapting their models for the Apple ecosystem. However, the pricing from Anthropic reportedly cooled Apple’s interest, prompting the company to explore other options.
But, to date, no agreements have been made with Google, OpenAI, or Anthropic. Apple continues to evaluate which solution—internal or external—will deliver the best results for its users.
A Strategic Issue
Rumors are aligning: the launch of Siri 2.0 could happen in the spring of 2026. If Apple can finalize a partnership, Gemini or another third-party model could become the backbone of Siri. However, the company would keep its own proprietary engine as a backup, to avoid relying entirely on a direct competitor—a typical strategic move for Apple.
The decision between a future partner or maintaining an internal model will be crucial for Apple. On one hand, it’s about restoring Siri’s status as a competitive assistant against rivals like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot—even if it means a complete rebuild. On the other hand, this decision will determine the level of control and privacy Apple can guarantee to its users, a core aspect of its messaging around Apple Intelligence.