Apple is in talks to bring Google's Gemini AI models to the iPhone as early as this year
Gemini, Google's series of artificial intelligence models, is already becoming ever-present on our phones. Gemini powers the Pixel 8's highly-touted AI features, is available in Google Messages, and can be set as your default Android assistant (although when ZDNET's Jack Wallen tested that feature, it didn't go so well).
Next up, Gemini might be coming to Apple's iPhone later this year.
Also: You can now ask Google's Gemini AI to revise specific details in a response
Bloomberg reports that Apple is in talks with Google to bring Gemini-powered AI features to the iPhone, which currently has more than 1 billion active users worldwide. There aren't any details about which iPhone models Gemini might come to, what the features might be, or what branding would be used.
The company's next big iPhone update, iOS 18, is expected to be announced and previewed during Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in June 2024. If Apple and Google sign a deal, we might learn more about Gemini on iOS then.
The possibility of Gemini on iPhones is significant for Apple users. When Google rebranded Bard to Gemini, the company touted many things its models could do, like offering personalized tutoring (including creating step-by-step instructions, sample quizzes, and back-and-forth discussions tailored to your learning style), serving as a sounding board for ideas, generating content by analyzing recent trends, and brainstorming ways to grow an audience.
Within the context of a smartphone though, it's likely Apple would offer features like generative wallpapers, text generation, and photo editing.
Also: I asked Gemini and GPT-4 to explain deep learning AI, and Gemini won hands down
What's interesting about this potential licensing is that Apple has been working on its own AI for a while now and has announced plans to heavily focus on AI in the coming years. By leaning on a competitor, is Apple admitting that its own AI models are lagging behind?
Bloomberg's report noted that Apple has also held talks with OpenAI to use its models.
Whether Apple goes with Google or OpenAI, it's likely we will see the iPhone rely on multiple AI models. For example, Apple could use its own models for basic Siri commands and rely on third-party models for anything that pulls from the internet.