Apple is planning to use a custom version of Google’s Gemini model to support a major upgrade to Siri, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The company may pay Google about $1 billion each year for access to technology that can create summaries and handle planning tasks.
Bloomberg says Apple will run the custom model on its Private Cloud Compute servers, while still relying on its own systems for some parts of Siri. Gurman reports that the Gemini model uses 1.2 trillion parameters, far more than the 150 billion parameters behind the current cloud-based version of Apple Intelligence.
Apple is preparing to spend about $1 billion each year on a powerful Google-built artificial intelligence model with 1.2 trillion parameters, according to people familiar with the matter, as reported by Bloomberg. The system is expected to play a central role in a major update to Siri, a project the company has been working toward for years.
After months of testing, Apple and Google are close to a deal that would give Apple access to the technology. The people discussing the plans asked not to be named because the talks are private.
Apple is turning to Google to help rebuild Siri’s core technology, laying the groundwork for a broad refresh of features planned for next year. The size of Google’s model would far exceed the AI systems Apple uses today.
Apple tested other outside options — including Google’s Gemini, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and Anthropic’s Claude — before deciding to move forward with Google earlier this year. The goal is to rely on Gemini as a temporary solution until Apple’s own work reaches the same level.
The updated Siri is planned for release next spring, Bloomberg reported. Because months remain before launch, parts of the plan could still change. Apple and Google declined to comment.
Shares of both companies briefly rose after the news surfaced Wednesday. Apple’s stock gained less than 1% to $271.70, while Alphabet climbed as much as 3.2% to $286.42.
The custom Gemini model would be a major jump from the 150 billion parameter system Apple currently uses in the cloud for Apple Intelligence. The move is meant to increase Siri’s ability to process complex tasks and understand context at a deeper level.
The work is known internally as Glenwood and is led by Vision Pro headset creator Mike Rockwell and software chief Craig Federighi. The refreshed voice assistant, set to appear in iOS 26.4, is code-named Linwood.
Under the deal, Google’s model will support Siri’s summarizer and planner features — the parts that help the assistant understand information and decide on action steps. Apple’s own models will still handle some tools and responses.
The model will run on Apple’s Private Cloud Compute servers, keeping user data isolated from Google’s systems. Apple already set aside server hardware for the effort to support Siri’s new features.
Although the partnership is large, Apple is not expected to promote it to consumers. Google will act as a quiet technology provider, unlike the visible search agreement inside Safari. Siri’s improvements will likely appear without Google branding.
This deal is separate from earlier talks about placing Gemini directly inside Siri as a chatbot. Those conversations nearly turned into a product in both 2024 and again earlier this year, but never moved forward. The new agreement also does not place Google AI search features inside Apple’s operating systems, leaving Siri’s search behavior unchanged.
During Apple’s most recent earnings call, Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said Siri may add more chatbot options in the future, beyond the current ChatGPT choice. Apple continues to look for ways to expand Siri without relying on one provider.
Other companies are also adopting Gemini. Snap and several major firms are building products using Google’s Vertex AI platform. For Apple, the move reflects how far behind it has fallen in AI — and how willing the company is to use outside tools to improve Siri.
Even so, Apple does not plan to use Gemini forever. The company has lost AI engineers in recent years, including the head of its models team, but Apple’s leadership still wants to develop its own technology and eventually replace Google’s system inside Siri.
Apple’s internal team is building its own cloud-based model with up to 1 trillion parameters, which could be ready for consumer use as early as next year. That work is expected to support Siri’s growth in the long run.
Executives believe they can match Google’s quality over time. But Google continues to improve Gemini, making the gap harder to close. Its 2.5 Pro version ranks near the top of most large language model comparisons, which affects how Apple plans Siri’s updates.
Apple also wants to bring Apple Intelligence and the updated Siri to China. Because Google services are banned in the country, the system used there will not rely on Gemini.
Instead, Apple plans to use its own models along with a content filter built by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. That tool would adjust responses to meet government requirements. Apple has also explored a partnership with Baidu Inc. for AI features in the Chinese market, Bloomberg reported earlier this year.
(Photo by omid armin)
See also: Inside Tim Cook’s push to get Apple back in the AI race
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