Apple’s AI ambitions, long mired in delays and internal friction, are finally getting a shot in the arm—thanks to Google. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in February 2025 that Apple plans to unveil a Gemini-powered Siri update, marking the first tangible step in a years-long struggle to catch up to rivals in artificial intelligence.
Mike Rockwell, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, reportedly dismissed earlier reports as “bulls–t” during a meeting with the foundation AI team in summer 2024. That skepticism highlights the internal tensions that have plagued Apple’s AI roadmap—a roadmap now seemingly stabilized by its partnership with Google.
The February 2025 update will focus on task automation, allowing Siri to access user data and on-screen content to complete actions like booking flights or editing documents. This fulfills promises made in June 2024 but lacks the conversational depth Apple has long promised. A June 2025 update will deliver a ChatGPT-style overhaul, leveraging Google’s cloud infrastructure to enable natural language interactions and contextual memory.
John Giannandrea, Apple’s former AI chief, departed in late 2024, signaling a strategic shift. His exit came as Google’s infrastructure began filling critical gaps in Apple’s on-device AI capabilities. The partnership provides access to Gemini’s large-scale training data and cloud compute resources—assets Apple has historically lacked despite its privacy-first reputation.