Apple is paying Google $1bn to upgrade Siri with… Gemini

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Credit: Ryan Haines / Android Authority


TL;DR

• Apple is reportedly ready to pay Google $1 billion per year to develop and maintain a specialized AI model.
• This special version of the Gemini model will be used to power the next generation of Siri.
• This represents Apple’s desperation to enter the AI race, especially with its inability to build a model comparable to Google’s Gemini.

Voice assistants from tech brands like Google and Amazon have recently undergone significant enhancements powered by AI. Both Alexa+ and Gemini, which has replaced Google Assistant, are now available to users for testing and critique. In the meantime, Apple’s ambitions to catch up to its competitors with Siri continue to drag on. Facing challenges in developing a conversational AI chatbot over the past several months, Apple reportedly considered partnering with other AI companies, such as OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google, and was later believed to have chosen a partner.

Over the weekend, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman reported that with the expected timeline for releasing a revamped Siri drawing closer, Apple has decided to use Gemini to power Siri’s next generation. In a more recent update, Gurman shares additional details about the deal, including Apple’s plans to pay $1 billion annually to Google for deploying an AI model to power up Siri.




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