William Gallagher
Google's controversial Gemini generative AI technology could be integrated directly into Apple's iOS 18 to improve Siri.
Apple has now regularly been reported to be planning an AI improvement for Siri, and to launch an iOS with much more integrated and prominent AI at WWDC 2024. Now a report from Bloomberg claims that Apple is in talks with Google to license the latter's Gemini AI.
It's already possible to run Gemini as an app, but the report says that the talks are now active negotiations concerning Apple arranging to license Gemini, Google's set of generative AI models, in order to power some unspecified new iOS features. It's expected that these features will be in this year's forthcoming iOS 18.
According to Bloomberg on early Monday morning, Apple has recently held discussions with OpenAI. Unspecified sources said to be involved in the talks, say that Apple has considered using OpenAI's model.
It's not clear whether the talks with Google mean that Apple has decided against OpenAI's ChatGPT technology.
If the talks do lead to an AI partnership between Apple and Google, it will build on the two firms' existing search agreements. According to testimony revealed during the Department of Justice's case accusing Google of antitrust measures, that deal is worth $20 billion a year to Apple.
Given how the Google investigation has repeatedly concentrated on the terms of its deal with Apple, it's likely that regulators would have to approve any AI partnership.
Gemini is the latest of Google's AI systems, a renamed and reworked version of its original Bard technology. Google Bard was poorly received.
However, Gemini has had severe problems too, with Google removing its ability to create images of people, and most recently limiting its election-related answers.
Nonetheless, following the report, CNBC says that shares in Google's parent company Alphabet were up 2.7% in premarket trading.
Christine McKee
AppleInsider Staff
Chip Loder
Malcolm Owen
57 Comments
John G, just as well, could have just stayed at Google
The most interesting point would be who contacted who at first?
The more advanced AI is, the less relevant the web search service will be. Therefore, I would not be surprised if Google contacted Apple at first.
For short term, it would be a win win situation for Google and Apple if Google pays a specific annual fee to Apple as Google already does for their Chrome on iOS.
However, AI is an uncertain technology without clear pictures how AI will shape the future.
But following questions to be answered:
1. How would this corporation affect the privacy? (AI with "open" source and privacy are usually a contradiction).
2. What additional benefits (not money or monetized benefits) could Apple get in those corporations?
I think that Apple wants to run their own in-house SLLMs on device (Small LLMs).
This news is all about running cloud-based AI.
Gemini would make more sense than OpenAI or Claude because Apple has already used Google´s cloud service.
But honestly.... People kept saying Apple has some weapons as they purchased more AI enterprises than other tech enterprises.
Apple lags behind on AI based on LLMs.
Car project cancellation, $490 million loss, and this indictation that Apple has managed their AI resource poorly..
Apple is really behind on AI and Apple should feel uncomfrtable with the current situation.
Gemini?
like “in the news” racist, election-interference Gemini?
that’s not a glitch. That’s a culture issue at Google. That’s a stance.
Makes sense. You can say Apple lags behind, but all AI tools are still not ready for primetime AT ALL. None of them have a level of polish that allows a regular user to use them, and all of them often still fail spectacularly. You can look at the LLM scores but none of that matters when a lot of them still can't do simple calculus.
I use several AI tools daily, but I'm a nerd and find the use cases for them, AND am able to see when it hallucinates. Apple is simply going to wait for this to mature and in the meantime use other services to supplement its offering. People went berserk when Apple Maps sent them in a wrong direction, can you imagine the backlash if they just let any LLM answer something?
Google still has the better web index, as OpenAI regularly fails on that front. Pretty sure Google will power Siri for web requests, and maybe Apple will use their own LLM for Apple related services.