Apple and Google have fuelled fresh speculation over the future of Siri after senior Google executives confirmed that the search giant is Apple’s “preferred” cloud partner for upcoming AI models.
The development follows Apple’s announcement that Google’s Gemini technology will help power the next generation of Siri and Apple Intelligence features, expected to roll out in stages starting later this year.
Apple CEO Tim Cook recently suggested that despite using Google’s AI, Apple would stick to its privacy-first approach. Speaking during an analyst call, Cook said Google offered the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models.
He added that Apple Intelligence would continue to run on device and on Apple’s Private Cloud Compute, maintaining what he called industry-leading privacy standards. This led many to believe that Gemini-powered Siri would operate on Apple’s own servers, similar to its existing ChatGPT integration.
However, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai offered a different perspective during the company’s earnings call. Pichai said Google is collaborating with Apple as its preferred cloud provider to develop the next generation of Apple Foundation Models based on Gemini technology.
Alphabet Chief Business Officer Philipp Schindler echoed the statement, reiterating Google’s involvement in the cloud deal. Such statements have reignited discussions about the possibility of Siri operating on Google servers, a major departure from Apple’s strategy to maintain everything in-house.
Neither of the companies has clarified whether the new Siri, which is expected to arrive with the iOS 26.4 update, will operate on Apple or Google servers. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has previously reported that a more advanced, chatbot-style Siri could eventually run on Google’s TPU-backed servers, possibly unveiled at WWDC 2026.