Apple has entered preliminary discussions with Google to integrate the search giant’s Gemini AI technology into a redesigned version of Siri, according to a report by Bloomberg News on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The talks signal a potential shift for Apple as it considers whether to rely on external partners to boost its digital assistant.

Apple is said to be weeks away from deciding whether to move forward with its in-house AI models or adopt an external system, with no final agreement reached yet.

News of the discussions sent shares higher on Wall Street, with Alphabet rising 3.7% and Apple up 1.6% in afternoon trading.

The report noted that Apple had recently approached Google about developing a custom model to power a redesigned Siri, expected to debut next year.

The planned overhaul is intended to allow Siri to perform tasks using personal context and offer full voice-based device control. Originally scheduled for release last spring, the upgrade was delayed by a year due to engineering setbacks.

Google declined to comment on the report, while Apple did not respond to requests for comment.

Apple has faced mounting pressure in the AI race, trailing competitors such as Google and Samsung, who have already introduced generative AI features across their smartphones.

Siri has long been criticised for lagging behind Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant, particularly in handling complex, multi-step tasks and integrating with third-party apps.

Earlier this year, Bloomberg reported that Apple also explored potential partnerships with Anthropic and OpenAI, considering whether their models—Claude or ChatGPT—could underpin a revamped Siri.

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