Apple is exploring a close collaboration with Google to host and process data for a new version of an AI-powered Siri, according to a recent report by The Information cited by The Verge. This aligns with Apple’s January announcement, in which it confirmed that the Google Gemini AI models would form the basis of the next generation of Apple Intelligence and of the iPhone voice assistant.
The report states that Apple has asked Google to explore the possibility of “setting up servers” dedicated to this enhanced version of Siri, which would be designed to meet Apple’s strict privacy requirements. This suggests the company could rely even more on Google’s infrastructure to accelerate its AI progress and close the gap with rivals such as Google, Microsoft or Amazon.
Why this matters
Until now, Apple has insisted that its AI innovations, including improvements to Siri and other features of Apple Intelligence, would run on users’ own devices and on its Private Cloud Compute (its private cloud).
However, the report does not make clear whether the new version of Siri will run directly on Google’s cloud or simply rely on Google’s technology behind the scenes.
A strategic shift?
Historically, Apple has been cautious about investing in cloud infrastructure. Unlike Google, Amazon or Microsoft — which have built massive data centres specifically for AI workloads — Apple has taken a more conservative approach. So much so that its own Private Cloud Compute is barely used: according to the report, only around 10% of its capacity is in regular use.
This low internal usage could be one reason Apple is considering outsourcing some AI processing to the Mountain View giant.
Relying on Google’s infrastructure could allow it to deploy more advanced features more quickly without having to expand its own server fleet.
What does this mean for users?
If Apple opts for this hybrid approach —combining its hardware, software and processing on third-party servers— it could mean:
- A more powerful, faster Siri, capable of handling complex AI tasks.
- Better performance in advanced features that require huge processing resources.
- A possible shift in Apple’s privacy narrative, although the company says any use of external infrastructure would meet its data protection standards.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/tech/887802/apple-ai-siri-google-servers
