Apple plans to closely control how Google’s Gemini AI is used to power its next-generation Siri, despite its high-profile partnership with Google. According to a new report, the company will refine the model independently and keep Google’s branding out of the experience.
Apple will maintain significant oversight of its Apple Intelligence-driven Siri upgrade, even after announcing that Google’s Gemini AI models will play a central role, according to a report by The Information.
People familiar with the project told the publication that Apple has secured the right to tweak and refine the Gemini model on its own. The assistant will not feature Google or Gemini branding, at least for now, keeping the experience firmly within Apple’s ecosystem.
Gemini To serve as foundation
Under the competitive deal, Gemini will act more as a base model rather than a complete, off-the-shelf solution. Insiders say Apple is adapting the technology specifically for Siri, rather than deploying Google’s AI as-is.
This approach allows Apple to shape how the assistant behaves, sounds, and responds — aligning it with the company’s design philosophy and user expectations.
Siri set to become more conversational
The report says the Gemini-powered Siri prototype already shows stronger performance in emotional and conversational interactions. The upgraded assistant is expected to provide general knowledge responses and emotional support in a more natural, human-like tone.
With Gemini enhancing Siri’s on-device intelligence, the assistant will also better understand unclear or loosely worded requests. For example, Siri could search through messages to identify how users refer to their contacts or generate Notes using information pulled from the internet.
Apple confirmed earlier this week that it would rely on Google’s Gemini models for Siri’s major AI overhaul, ending months of speculation. The company had reportedly evaluated multiple options, including deeper integrations with partners such as OpenAI.
Gemini was widely seen as the leading contender as Apple prepares for its next AI phase heading into 2026.
ChatGPT still in the mix
Despite the Gemini partnership, Apple will continue routing certain complex queries through ChatGPT, an Apple spokesperson told The Information. However, the report notes that OpenAI has seen minimal traffic from Siri testing so far.
This suggests that Gemini will handle most core Siri interactions, with ChatGPT acting as a secondary option for specific tasks.
Crucially, Siri’s new AI engine will not run on Google’s servers. Instead, the system will operate directly on Apple devices or through Apple’s own cloud infrastructure.
Sources say Google invested heavily in developing a version of Gemini capable of running on Apple servers, ensuring compliance with Apple’s strict privacy standards. This setup means no user data will be shared with Google.
