Apple and Google Unite: Redefining the Future of AI

Mark Gurman recently revealed that Apple is developing a system internally codenamed "World Knowledge Q&A." This system will be integrated into Siri, while Apple also plans to incorporate the same technology into Safari and the iPhone’s search features.

Previously, Apple’s partnerships with other companies often fell apart due to technical compatibility issues or disagreements over commercial costs. However, in a significant shift, Apple has officially signed an agreement with Google to evaluate and test Google’s AI model. Apple intends to use this model to enhance Siri’s capabilities. But this raises a question: why would Apple choose to partner with Google right after Google wrapped up its antitrust lawsuit?

The answer lies in the longstanding "interest alignment" between the two tech giants. For Google’s search engine to remain the default on iPhones, Google reportedly pays Apple $20 billion annually. However, during the recent antitrust trial, Apple’s service division disclosed an intriguing trend: Google Search usage on Apple devices has been steadily declining—something that’s never happened before. The core reason? The rise of AI browsers, which are beginning to disrupt traditional search engines.

Despite being a global digital powerhouse, Apple remains downstream in the AI ecosystem. Its foundational model team and AI-related divisions have struggled with severe talent loss, with researchers, department heads, and project managers departing—most joining rivals like Meta and OpenAI. Both in terms of technical expertise and talent reserves, Apple is at a disadvantage.

As for why Apple chose Google, there are two main reasons. First, Google offered reasonable terms for collaboration. Second, Google’s Gemini model is now one of the most advanced in the field. The Gemini 2.5 version, launched in March 2025, earned the top spot on the Arena rankings, thanks to its upgrades to multi-modal large language frameworks. It excels in long-text processing, reasoning, and multilingual support—features highly attractive to developers.

Perhaps the most impressive move from Google was its early contribution—deploying a customized version of its Gemini model onto Apple’s private cloud servers. From cost efficiency to technical capability to practical implementation speed, Google has proven to be the ideal partner to help Apple reclaim its footing in the AI landscape.