Apple and Google are in talks to integrate Google’s artificial-intelligence model Gemini into the iPhone, Bloomberg has reported.
The new Gemini-powered features could be introduced to iPhones this year, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the negotiations. Representatives for Apple and Google declined to comment on the talks when contacted by Bloomberg.
Gurman reported that Apple had also thought about using OpenAI‘s model and recently held discussions with the ChatGPT maker.
The deal with Google, if finalized, would be a big boost for Gemini — and, by extension, a blow to its key rivals.
Gemini faces stiff competition from other players in the AI business, including Sam Altman’s OpenAI and Elon Musk’s xAI.
The deal could also provide some welcome relief for the beleaguered chatbot. Gemini was mired in controversy in February when some social-media users accused the chatbot and its creators of being “woke” after it consistently generated images of people of color in inaccurate historical contexts.
Google eventually paused Gemini’s image-generation feature on February 22, promising users that it would “re-release an improved version soon.”
Musk, who founded his own AI company in 2023, celebrated the pause, accusing Google’s AI of being “racist.”
“I’m glad that Google overplayed their hand with their AI image generation, as it made their insane racist, anti-civilizational programming clear to all,” the billionaire wrote on X after Google had paused the feature.
To be sure, Musk has been picking multiple fights with his competitors in the AI space. Besides slamming Google, Musk on February 29 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO, Altman. In his lawsuit, Musk accused OpenAI of violating its nonprofit mission when it partnered with Microsoft.
Representatives for Apple, Google, OpenAI, and Musk didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.
