When Apple announced plans to introduce a Gemini-powered Siri, the move surprised many, as the company chose to rely on external AI technology rather than solely advancing its in-house Apple Intelligence efforts. Now, reports suggest Apple may deepen its reliance on Google for Siri’s infrastructure.
According to The Information, Apple has asked Google to explore running the Gemini-powered Siri on Google’s cloud infrastructure. Instead of using existing servers, Google may establish new servers tailored to meet Apple’s strict privacy standards.
Why Apple Is Considering Google’s Servers
Apple is reportedly preparing a major overhaul of Siri and is expected to pay Google about $1 billion annually to license its Gemini AI models. The partnership aims to enhance Siri’s capabilities, as the assistant has struggled to keep pace with competitors such as Gemini and ChatGPT.
Although Apple previously stated that Siri would operate on its private cloud compute system, the report suggests the company is facing challenges with its existing cloud infrastructure. Apple’s private cloud is based largely on Mac hardware, which may not match the processing power of Google’s cloud servers powered by Tensor Processing Units (TPUs). TPUs are Google-designed chips optimised for running large language models like Gemini.
Leveraging Google’s infrastructure could provide the performance and efficiency required to support a more advanced Siri experience.
Concerns Over Apple’s AI Infrastructure
The report indicates that Apple’s internal AI infrastructure is “beginning to decay,” particularly as it phases out older Nvidia-based servers. It is said that Apple is currently utilising only around 10 per cent of its total server capacity, with some private cloud systems reportedly still stored in warehouses. In the past, Apple has relied on both Amazon and Google for certain cloud computing needs.
Using Google’s computing power may allow Apple to handle a potential surge in Siri usage after its upgrade, without bearing the full capital expense of expanding its own infrastructure. The shift mirrors Apple’s decision to integrate Gemini rather than continue independently developing comparable foundational AI models.
Timeline for the Upgrade
Apple is expected to roll out a significant Siri update with iOS 26.4, introducing new features powered by Gemini. A more comprehensive transformation — potentially turning Siri into a ChatGPT-style conversational assistant — is anticipated with iOS 27, likely to be unveiled in September alongside the release of the iPhone 18 series.
