Siri’s New Brain: Apple Brings Google Gemini Into the Core
Apple has confirmed a multi‑year agreement with Google to use Gemini AI models as a foundation for a revamped Siri and broader Apple Intelligence features expected later in 2026. The partnership positions Gemini as a deep, system-level capability rather than a simple add‑on chatbot integration.
What Apple announced
Apple’s announcement (reported on January 12, 2026) centers on Google’s Gemini models powering key parts of a new, AI‑upgraded Siri experience. Multiple reports describe the arrangement as a multi‑year deal and a major shift in how Apple will deliver large‑scale AI features across its devices.
How Gemini will be used
Under the reported structure, Gemini is intended to serve as the underlying model layer that enables Siri to handle more complex requests and richer context than the legacy assistant. Coverage also emphasizes that this is about powering Apple’s core assistant and AI experiences—not simply surfacing a Google-branded app inside iOS.
What happens to user data
Reports and commentary around the deal repeatedly stress that Apple is trying to keep the experience aligned with its privacy stance, limiting what outside partners can access. Several outlets describe the design goal as keeping processing within Apple-controlled pathways where possible, including routing advanced requests through Apple’s privacy-focused cloud architecture rather than treating it like a typical third‑party API call.
Who owns or sees user data?
- User Data Ownership: Apple users retain ownership of their data. The agreement explicitly states that user data will not be shared with Google for its own use.
- Visibility: Google cannot see user queries or raw data. The process is "stateless," meaning queries are anonymized and processed without creating a user profile or history on Google's side.
- Training Prohibition: Both companies have confirmed that Apple user data will NOT be used to train future Google Gemini models. Google provides the model architecture, but it does not "learn" from Apple users' interactions.
Infrastructure & Hosting
The infrastructure arrangement is a hybrid model designed to keep data within Apple's "trust boundary":
- Where it runs: The Gemini models will run inside Apple's Private Cloud Compute (PCC) environment.
- The "Vault" Concept: Think of it as Apple renting the "engine" (Gemini model) but running it inside its own "garage" (Apple PCC). Google provides the model weights and architecture, but the actual processing happens on servers controlled by Apple, ensuring isolation from Google's public cloud infrastructure.
- On-Device Processing: Simpler tasks will still be handled directly on the user's iPhone/iPad using Apple's smaller on-device models, ensuring that data never leaves the device unless necessary for complex queries.
Data Ownership Specifics
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Data Flow | Data sent to the cloud goes to Apple PCC, not Google's public servers. |
| Model Training | Apple uses Gemini to power its features but not to feed Google's training set. Apple may use the output to train its own future "Apple Foundation Models". |
| Identity | Requests sent to the cloud are stripped of the user's Apple ID and IP address, preventing Google from linking queries to specific individuals. |
Where OpenAI fits (and why it matters)
Even with Gemini powering core Siri capabilities, Apple’s ChatGPT integration is widely described as continuing—more like an optional extension for certain queries than the operating system’s “default brain.” In other words, Apple appears to be building a multi‑model setup: Gemini for foundational assistant intelligence while ChatGPT remains available for tasks where users explicitly choose it or where Apple deems it helpful.
Why Apple might eventually leave OpenAI
If Apple ever reduced or ended its OpenAI relationship, the most plausible drivers would be strategic control and product coherence: Apple is moving toward fewer “bolt‑on” experiences and more system-native intelligence that it can shape end‑to‑end. Another factor could be operating at iPhone scale—Apple’s decision to anchor Siri on Gemini suggests it prioritized robustness, infrastructure readiness, and a partnership structure that supports Apple’s privacy architecture.
