Apple’s Reluctant Fix: $1B to Google for ‘Ultrapowerful’ Siri Engine

In a reluctant move to fix its AI lag, Apple is paying Google $1 billion annually. The fee is to license Google’s “ultrapowerful” 1.2 trillion parameter Gemini AI as an “interim solution” for the new “Linwood” Siri.

This “behind-the-scenes” integration is part of Apple’s “Glenwood” project. Google’s AI was chosen after it won a “bake-off” against OpenAI and Anthropic, and it will now handle all “summariser” and “planner” functions.

The new Siri, launching in the spring, will be a hybrid. Apple’s 150-billion parameter models will manage simple requests, while Google’s AI will power the multi-step, complex commands.

This is a reluctant step for Apple, admitting it needs a rival’s tech to compete. Meanwhile, Apple’s teams are pushing to build a 1T+ model to replace Gemini, but it’s a significant challenge.

The deal’s lynchpin is privacy. The Gemini model will be hosted on Apple’s “walled-off” Private Cloud Compute servers. This architecture, overseen by Craig Federighi and Mike Rockwell, ensures Google gets its money but no access to user data.