Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL, ETR:APC) is reportedly talking with Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) to integrate its Google Gemini suite of artificial intelligence applications into iPhones and other Apple devices.
The two trillion-dollar companies are hoping to integrate Google Gemini with Apple devices later this year, according to a Bloomberg report quoting people familiar with the matter.
If confirmed, it would be a major strategic shift for Apple, given the Cupertino megacap’s famously closed-borders approach to hardware and software development.
But Apple is also at pains to get up to speed with the AI revolution, after its Magnificent 7 counterparts, especially Microsoft, have pulled ahead with advancing their internal AI systems, either in-house or through partnerships.
Alphabet also potentially stands to gain from a potential AI licensing partnership with Apple, given the two billion-plus active Apple devices globally.
Alphabet already dishes out billions each year to make Google the default search engine on Apple’s Safari browser.
Google Gemini is Alphabet’s answer to OpenAI’s groundbreaking ChatGPT large-language model, which has since been integrated into Microsoft’s suite of software products.
Initially called Bard, Gemini had an embarrassing launch after producing incorrect answers to queries during its unveiling in February 2023.
According to the Bloomberg report, no final deal has been inked between Apple and Alphabet.