Apple Turns to Google to Smarten Up Siri and Bring AI to iPhone

The deal that allowing Apple to tap into Google’s AI technology was disclosed Monday in a joint statement from the Silicon Valley powerhouses.

Associated Press

Jan 12, 2026 — 3 min read

Photo of signage outside the offices of Google in San Francisco on Oct. 31, 2018, by Michael Liedtke/AP

Jan. 12, 2026 (AP) – Apple will rely on Google to help finish its efforts to smarten up its virtual assistant Siri and bring other artificial intelligence features to the iPhone as the trendsetting company plays catch up in technology's latest craze.

The deal allowing Apple to tap into Google's AI technology was disclosed Monday in a joint statement from the Silicon Valley powerhouses. The partnership will draw upon Google's Gemini technology to customize a suite of AI features dubbed “Apple Intelligence” on the iPhone and other products.

After Google and others took the early lead in the AI race, Apple promised to plant its first big stake in the field with an array of new features that were supposed to be coming to the iPhone in 2024 as part of a ballyhooed software upgrade.