Gemini-powered features on iPhones

Report says Apple in discussion with Google to introduce Gemini AI Features to iPhone

Apple and Google are reportedly in talks to bring some Gemini powered features on iPhones as part of iOS 18. The Cupertino based company is also holding discussions with ChatGPT creator OpenAI. Apple may be working on its very own large language model and new AI features for iOS 18, but the tech giant is now reportedly talking to Google to bring certain Gemini-powered features to iPhones. The partnership between the two tech giants may shake up the AI industry and give Google Gemini a much-needed push. 

According to industry sources, Apple is thinking of licensing Google Gemini’s underlying technology to bring AI-powered features to the next version of iOS, which may be the biggest iOS update in years. While some AI features might use Apple’s in-house developed models, the Cupertino-based tech giant may turn to Google to bring features like image generation and writing assistance. "The two parties haven't decided the terms or branding of an AI agreement or finalized how it would be implemented," according to the report's sources.

With the release of iOS 18 later this year, Apple is rumoured to be bringing major new AI capabilities to its iPhone operating system. According to reports available, Apple’s upcoming AI-powered features on iOS 18 will most likely run on the device itself, meaning they might not be able to perform complex tasks such as the ability to create images and write essays based on single prompts, Apple is seeking a partner that has the necessary large-scale hardware infrastructure and compute capabilities already in place.

Last year, job listings at Apple hinted that it was working on several AI-powered features, but the recent talks with third-party providers like Google may indicate that the tech giant’s indigenously developed models may not be performing as expected in some areas. According to previous reports, Apple has been internally testing an "Apple GPT" rival which could compete with OpenAI's ChatGPT. The company has also been designing an "Ajax" framework for large language models, and is said to be spending millions of dollars a day on conversational AI research as training language models requires a lot of hardware. However, the technology is still not as advanced as tools from Google and other rivals, making a partnership look like the better option, according to the latest report.

Google is not new to bringing AI-powered features to smartphones. Apart from offering some AI-exclusive features on Pixel devices, the company has also tied up with Samsung to offer generative AI features on the recently launched Galaxy S24 series like Circle to Search. However, Google may not be the only AI company Apple is in talks with. The report also claims that the tech giant is holding discussions with OpenAI to use GPT models. If the negotiations come to nothing, Apple could seek another generative AI provider such as OpenAI or turn to multiple partners. But if the talks bring about a deal, it could make up for any losses that result from the regulatory pressure facing the two companies' existing search partnership.

Google has paid Apple billions of dollars for several years to keep its search engine the default option in Safari browser on Apple devices. However, the existing deal is facing regulatory scrutiny from the US Department of Justice and the European Commission over concerns that it helps Google maintain a search monopoly. Both The Information and analyst Jeff Pu claim that Apple will have some kind of generative AI feature available on the ‌iPhone‌ and iPad around end of this year, which is when iOS 18 will be coming out. However, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in August that there is "no sign" of generative AI technology coming in 2024, and he claimed that Apple's work on generative AI is "significantly behind its competitors."

If Google manages to land the deal with Apple, it will be pivotal to giving Gemini the much-needed boost in the highly competitive AI industry. In the last few weeks, Gemini has repeatedly found itself in difficulties, generating images of historical figures and images inaccurately, declining to depict white people, comparing Elon Musk’s influence to that of Adolf Hitler’s. Google and Apple’s partnership is not new. Last year during the Epic Games vs Google trial, the tech giant accidentally revealed that it has been paying a whopping 36 per cent cut of the ad revenue it earns from Safari users’ search queries to Apple. But still we have to wait for the final outcome.