Apple May Lean on Google Cloud to Power Next-Gen Siri with Gemini
Apple is reportedly exploring Google’s cloud infrastructure to power Gemini-based Siri, aiming for faster, smarter and scalable AI performance.
Apple’s ambitious plans to reinvent Siri with Google’s Gemini AI may go deeper than initially expected. According to a new report, the Cupertino-based tech giant has approached Google to explore running Gemini-powered Siri directly on Google’s cloud servers — a move that signals a significant shift in Apple’s long-standing strategy of controlling its own infrastructure.
Earlier this year, Apple confirmed a partnership with Google to integrate Gemini AI models into Siri. The announcement surprised many in the industry, as Apple has traditionally preferred building core technologies in-house under its broader Apple Intelligence initiative. Now, fresh details suggest Apple may be willing to rely even more heavily on Google — not just for AI models, but also for the computing muscle required to run them efficiently.
Why Apple may need Google’s servers
Apple is reportedly set to pay around $1 billion annually to license Gemini models for Siri. The goal is to bring advanced generative AI capabilities to its voice assistant, which has struggled to keep pace with competitors like ChatGPT and Google’s own Gemini offerings.
While Apple has said that Siri’s AI processing will run on its Private Cloud Compute system, reports indicate that the company’s in-house infrastructure may not be robust enough to support the next phase of Siri’s evolution. Apple’s private cloud is largely built on Mac-based servers, which may not match the performance efficiency of Google’s specialised data centres.
Google’s cloud infrastructure relies heavily on Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), custom-built chips designed specifically for handling large language models (LLMs) such as Gemini. These TPUs are widely regarded as more powerful and efficient for AI workloads than conventional hardware setups. Leveraging Google’s infrastructure could help Apple deliver faster response times and improved scalability for millions of Siri users worldwide.
Concerns over Apple’s AI infrastructure
The report suggests that Apple’s AI infrastructure is “beginning to decay." As the company phases out older Nvidia-powered servers, it appears to be reassessing its long-term cloud strategy. Sources indicate that Apple is currently utilising only a fraction — roughly 10 percent — of its available server capacity, with some hardware reportedly sitting idle in warehouses.
Apple has previously relied on external providers such as Amazon and Google for certain cloud services. Turning again to Google for AI compute could help Apple manage the anticipated spike in Siri usage after its major overhaul, without committing to heavy capital investments in new data centres.
What’s next for Siri?
Apple is expected to roll out a substantial Siri update with iOS 26.4 in the coming months, introducing enhanced AI-driven features powered by Gemini. However, a more dramatic transformation is reportedly planned for iOS 27. That update, expected to debut alongside the iPhone 18 in September, could reshape Siri into a more conversational, chatbot-style assistant similar to ChatGPT.
If Apple ultimately allows Google to host key components of Siri on its cloud infrastructure, it would mark one of the most notable collaborations between the two tech rivals in recent years — and potentially redefine how Apple approaches AI at scale.
