Apple and Google have entered into a multi-year collaboration that will see the next generation of Apple Foundation Models built on Google’s Gemini AI models and cloud technology, a significant partnership that reshapes the competitive landscape of artificial intelligence. The agreement will help power future Apple Intelligence capabilities, including a more personalized version of Siri expected to launch later this year.
“Apple and Google have entered into a multi-year collaboration under which the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google’s Gemini models and cloud technology. These models will help power future Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalized Siri coming this year,” the companies said in a joint statement.
Explaining the rationale behind the decision, Apple said, “After careful evaluation, we determined that Google’s technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models and we’re excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for our users.” Despite relying on Google’s AI foundation, Apple emphasized that Apple Intelligence will continue to run on Apple devices and its Private Cloud Compute infrastructure, maintaining the company’s long-standing commitment to privacy and on-device processing. “Apple Intelligence will continue to run on Apple devices and Private Cloud Compute, while maintaining Apple’s industry-leading privacy standards,” the statement added.
The companies confirmed that the models will operate across Apple hardware and its private cloud environment. Apple declined to comment on the commercial terms of the partnership, while Google referred queries to the joint statement.
The collaboration follows earlier reports that Apple was exploring Gemini as the backbone for a revamped Siri. In August, Bloomberg reported that Apple was in early discussions with Google to use a custom Gemini model, and later suggested that Apple could pay around $1 billion annually to access Google’s AI technology, though neither company has confirmed these figures.
The deal is widely seen as a strong endorsement of Google’s accelerating AI strategy and its renewed momentum against rivals such as OpenAI. In 2025, Google recorded its strongest performance since 2009 and surpassed Apple in market capitalization last week for the first time since 2019.
Apple and Google already share a long-standing and lucrative partnership, with Google paying Apple billions of dollars annually to remain the default search engine on iPhones. That relationship faced scrutiny after Google was found to hold an illegal monopoly in internet search. However, a September court ruling avoided a worst-case outcome that could have forced Google to divest Chrome, allowing it to continue strategic partnerships—including the expanded collaboration with Apple.
As AI becomes central to consumer technology, the Apple-Google alliance underscores a pragmatic shift toward collaboration, even among long-time competitors.
