Siri's New Mind: Has Apple Finally Given Up?
Apple is preparing to enhance Siri with Google's Gemini. This alliance may be the clearest admission yet that Apple cannot walk alone in the AI race.
The other day, I asked a simple question to Siri, which I've been using for years. The answer was still in that familiar, robotic, 'I can't do that' tone. At that moment, I thought: Why can't the world's most valuable company ever seem to make its digital assistant smarter? The answer is likely coming in February, and it reflects a harsher reality than we anticipated.
An Alliance, or a Surrender?
According to claims by Bloomberg's rumor genius Mark Gurman, Apple will introduce a new Siri powered by Gemini in the second half of February. This isn't just a software update. This is Apple abandoning its 'I'll do it myself' arrogance in the field of AI and leaping into the arms of its biggest rival. The feature promised for mid-2024—completing tasks by accessing personal data and on-screen content—is finally coming to life. Let's be honest, this feature has been available in competitors for years. This is where Apple is keeping pace.
And the real bombshell will explode at WWDC in June. Gurman says that version will be more chat-focused and could run directly on Google's cloud infrastructure. So, Siri will no longer 'live' on the iPhone's chip, but perhaps on a Google server. It's interesting to think about the dilemma this creates for Apple, which promises privacy.
What's Happening in the Background?
This part is even juicier. Rumors were circulating that Apple's AI strategy had gone off the rails. So much so that Apple's Mike Rockwell reportedly described Gurman's previous report as 'nonsense' to core team members. So what happened next? A partnership with Google and the departure of Apple's AI chief, John Giannandrea. A coincidence? I don't think so. It's very clear there was an internal fight, a fork in the road. And it seems the 'outsource it' team won.
This move carries enormous risks not just for Apple, but for Google too. Will Google DeepMind's security commitments and Apple's fanatical privacy emphasis melt in the same pot? Or will this be the biggest consolidation move for consumer data? Scary questions.
What About the Other Players?
How do OpenAI and ChatGPT view this news? They're probably smiling. Apple's move towards Google could create a dual-pole market. On the other hand, considering the controversies over ChatGPT's data sources or advertising pressure, the Siri-Gemini duo could be marketed as a 'clean' alternative. But is it really clean?
Getting to the technical details: How Gemini will be integrated into Siri is a big issue. A simple API call, or customized, lightweight versions of the models? LLMs learning to speak graph languages could perhaps be the key to Siri managing on-device tasks more efficiently. Will Apple still have a contribution in this part of the game, or will it leave everything to Google? We eagerly await the answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will the new Siri be released?
The initial announcement is expected in the second half of February 2026. However, the full-featured, chat-focused major update is planned to be introduced at WWDC in June 2026 and released in the fall.
How will this update affect my privacy?
This is the biggest question mark. Siri will need to access your personal data to complete tasks. It's not yet clear whether these processes will be handled on Apple's servers or on Google Cloud, and which data protection policies will apply. It will be worth watching how Apple reconciles this with its 'Privacy is a human right' rhetoric.
Will all these AI features be free?
Considering Apple traditionally offers features as part of its hardware and software package, they will likely be free. However, it's not impossible that a subscription model (like iCloud+) could be introduced in the future for very advanced cloud-based Gemini features.
Does this mean Apple has given up on developing its own AI model?
Not entirely. Apple will most likely continue working on smaller, specialized models that run on-device (like image processing, basic commands). However, outsourcing for complex, creative, and broad-scope queries (to Google Gemini) seems to be at the center of their strategy for now. They may focus on unique areas like data mining the physical world.
