Google Cloud Chief Executive Officer Thomas Kurian confirmed on April 24, 2026, that the company has entered into a formal partnership with Apple to integrate Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence models into Apple Intelligence. Under the terms of the agreement, Gemini will provide the underlying generative AI capabilities for a redesigned Siri and various system-wide features across Apple’s hardware lineup. The rollout is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2026, marking a significant shift in Apple’s strategy for its digital assistant and broader AI services.
The announcement follows Apple’s decision to postpone the launch of its internally developed Siri upgrade, which was originally slated for a 2025 release. Technical challenges regarding the integration of large language models with on-device privacy protocols led Apple to push its proprietary overhaul to 2026. By partnering with Google Cloud, Apple aims to bridge the functional gap in its AI offerings while continuing to develop its in-house solutions. Kurian stated that the partnership utilizes Google’s TPU (Tensor Processing Unit) infrastructure to handle complex cloud-based AI requests that exceed the processing power of local device hardware.
According to the official statement, Gemini will be utilized for tasks requiring advanced reasoning, multi-step planning, and creative content generation. While Apple Intelligence will continue to use Apple’s own small language models for basic on-device tasks, Gemini will be the primary engine for Personal Siri, a feature designed to understand deep user context and execute actions across third-party applications. Kurian noted that the integration will adhere to Apple’s Private Cloud Compute standards, ensuring that user data processed by Google’s servers is not stored or accessible to Google for training purposes.
The deal represents one of the largest enterprise agreements for Google Cloud’s AI division to date. While specific financial terms were not disclosed, the partnership involves a multi-year commitment for cloud compute resources and licensing fees. Apple Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi, in a joint statement, emphasized that the collaboration allows Apple to deliver state-of-the-art generative capabilities immediately. This move follows previous reports of Apple exploring similar partnerships with other AI providers, though the Google Cloud agreement is now confirmed as the primary external foundation for the 2026 AI feature set.
The integration is expected to debut with the release of iOS 20 and macOS 17 later this year. Initial features will include enhanced natural language understanding for Siri and the ability for the assistant to summarize long-form documents and emails using Gemini Pro and Gemini Ultra models. Kurian confirmed that Google Cloud has scaled its data center capacity in North America and Europe to accommodate the anticipated surge in request volume from Apple’s global user base.