Apple could be gearing up to take artificial intelligence to a whole new level in its iPhones, thanks to a potential collaboration with Google. According to a recent report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is in talks with Google to potentially incorporate Google’s powerful Gemini artificial intelligence engine into its flagship devices.
Gemini, launched by Google last year, has established itself as one of the most powerful language AI models to date. Despite some initial setbacks, including the generation of historically inaccurate illustrations, Gemini represents an important milestone in Google’s efforts to bring AI to the public in a broad and ambitious way.
If this deal materializes, iPhones could experience a number of new features powered by Gemini, although specific details have not yet been disclosed. In addition to Google, it has been mentioned that the company has also been in talks with OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, although no definitive agreement has been reached at this time.
For Google, this deal would mean unprecedented access to billions of iPhone users, further consolidating its position in the artificial intelligence market. For Apple, however, it could be an indication of its recognition that it needs to catch up in terms of AI, especially considering the relative power of its own language model, Ajax, compared to Gemini or ChatGPT.
Gurman’s report also suggests that Apple has big plans for its upcoming iOS 18 mobile platform, with new AI-related features on the horizon. However, any announcement on the Google deal is unlikely to be made before Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June this year.
This move by Apple comes at a time when other companies, such as Samsung and its Galaxy S24, are increasingly integrating AI-powered features into their devices using Google technology. Even Google’s Pixel phones themselves are known to have a number of prominent AI-powered features.
However, this potential alliance between Apple and Google could also attract the attention of regulators, especially considering the current agreement between the two companies that establishes Google as the default search engine on the iPhone. With the growing interest in regulating antitrust practices in technology, this AI deal could come under increased scrutiny from regulators.
