Apple and Google Partner on AI for Voice Assistant Technology

Apple and Google have entered into a multi-year partnership where Google's Gemini models will power Apple's AI features, including a more personalized Siri voice assistant. The announcement confirms reports suggesting the two companies would strike a deal around AI.

Apple said that Google's AI technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models. The next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google's Gemini models and cloud technology.

Siri Overhaul

The first Gemini-powered AI update to Siri is expected to arrive sometime in 2026. The updated assistant is expected to be more conversational and capable of completing multi-step tasks.

Apple first unveiled new AI-powered Siri capabilities in June 2025 alongside the debut of Apple Intelligence but later pushed the assistant's launch to 2026.

Financial Implications

Industry sources cited by the Financial Times report that the AI technology partnership between Apple and Google is worth as much as US$5 billion. Bloomberg reported that Apple may pay Google roughly US$1 billion annually to use a customized Gemini model.

For Google, the arrangement represents a material commercial upside, estimated at around $1 billion per year in revenue from Apple, with further growth potential as enterprise and consumer AI adoption scales.

Alphabet, Google's parent company, briefly reached a $4 trillion valuation after the Apple AI deal was announced.

Market Impact

Analysts believe the partnership signals Apple's intent to fast-track the overhaul of Siri's core AI capabilities. Google's Gemini models are now integrated on both Android and iOS devices.

The voice assistant application market is projected to grow from $2.8 billion in 2021 to $11.2 billion by 2026.

Apple's AI Strategy

Apple is preparing to mass-produce its own AI-focused server chips in the second half of 2026. Data centers that will use these chips will start to be constructed in 2027.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the partnership with Google is temporary and buys Apple time.

Google's AI Initiatives

Google's AI strategy emphasizes advanced integration of AI models into enterprise solutions. In 2025, Google announced a significant increase in AI infrastructure investment, allocating approximately $75 billion.

Conclusion

Apple and Google have partnered to integrate Google's Gemini AI into Apple's devices, including Siri. The deal is expected to enhance Siri's capabilities and strengthen Google's position in the AI market. The first Gemini-powered AI update to Siri is expected in 2026.