Report says Apple might let Google Gemini power iPhone’s AI features

Smartphone manufacturers have begun incorporating numerous AI capabilities into their devices. Google has been incorporating these features into its Pixel series, while Samsung recently followed suit with the Galaxy S23 Ultra. There have also been speculations that Apple will introduce AI features in their upcoming iPhones, with reports suggesting that they may collaborate with Google Gemini to do so.

According to a report from Bloomberg, Apple is currently discussing the integration of Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence engine into the iPhone. The two companies are actively negotiating a licensing agreement that would allow Apple to utilize Gemini in the development of new features for the iPhone software that is set to release this year. Interestingly, Apple has also been in talks with OpenAI, as stated in the report.

According to Mark Gurman’s report:

While the talks between Apple and Google remain active, it’s unlikely that any deal would be announced until June, when the iPhone maker plans to hold its annual Worldwide Developers Conference. It’s possible that the companies don’t reach an agreement or Apple ultimately chooses to go with another generative AI provider, like OpenAI. Or Apple could theoretically tap multiple partners, as it does with search in its web browser.

If the deal between Apple and Gemini to power iPhone’s AI features is finalized, it will further strengthen their current search agreement. As many may not know, Google currently pays a commission to Apple to maintain its search engine as the default option on Macs, iPads, and iPhones. According to a report from last year, this commission is estimated to be 36 percent of Google’s search ad revenue from Apple’s Safari browser.

It has been confirmed by Apple’s CEO Tim Cook that the company is currently developing generative AI and plans to integrate it into their products in the coming year. News of Apple’s venture into the generative AI field surfaced last year, with reports stating that the company is investing millions of dollars daily into their ChatGPT rival AI.