Apple in Negotiations with Google to Bring Gemini AI to iPhone, Reports Bloomberg

Apple is reportedly engaged in "active negotiations" with Google to incorporate its Gemini generative AI technology into the iPhone, according to Bloomberg. Additionally, Apple is considering utilizing OpenAI's ChatGPT for similar purposes.

CEO Tim Cook has confirmed Apple's significant investment in artificial intelligence features, slated for release to customers "later this year." Bloomberg suggests that Apple's AI features may encompass a blend of both first-party and third-party AI models. While Apple's models could empower on-device generative AI with iOS 18, cloud-based AI features like text and image generation could be facilitated through partnerships, potentially with Google.

If negotiations with Google are successful, Apple would join Samsung, which recently integrated Google's AI technology into its Galaxy S24 smartphones under the Galaxy AI brand. Google's AI also features prominently on its Pixel 8 devices. However, the branding or implementation of Google's AI tech into Apple's devices remains undecided.

Apple already has an established agreement with Google, making Google Search the default option on its devices, reportedly valued at $18 billion annually. Yet, such deals have drawn scrutiny from regulators, with the US Department of Justice accusing Google of leveraging them to unfairly solidify its search engine's market dominance.

A potential AI deal between Apple and Google could extend the reach of Google's AI tools to over 2 billion iPhones currently in the market. However, Bloomberg notes that it might suggest a concession from Apple regarding the advancement of its own generative AI technology compared to competitors. Apple has reportedly been testing an in-house chatbot called Apple GPT, and it is said to have its own large language model codenamed Ajax, though allegedly less advanced than competitors.

Any announcement regarding an AI deal between Apple and Google is unlikely before WWDC in June, according to Bloomberg.

Apple in talks with Google to incorporate Gemini AI into iPhones, enhancing AI features in iOS 18, Announcement post-WWDC