Apple is shaking things up in a big way. The company that always built everything on its own is now asking for help from competitors like Google and Anthropic. This marks one of the biggest strategy changes in Apple's history.
For years, Apple fell behind while other companies raced ahead with AI tools. Now they are scrambling to catch up by making deals with the same companies they usually compete against. The company is also replacing key managers who could not deliver good AI products.
As of now, Apple is testing two different versions of their voice assistant: one using their own technology and another powered by outside companies. Let's see what companies they are working with and also what the main changes happening internally in Apple are.
Let's get into it.
Executive Summary
Apple is making major changes to fix its falling position in the AI race. The company now seeks help from competitors Google and Anthropic after years of struggling to build competitive AI products on its own.
- Key Partnerships and Changes: Apple is testing Google's Gemini AI to power a smarter Siri while partnering with Anthropic's Claude AI to help developers write better code. The company replaced key AI managers and put Mike Rockwell, who created the Vision Pro headset, in charge of Siri development.
- Internal Challenges Continue: Despite external partnerships, Apple's internal AI team faces serious problems. The company recently tested its first trillion-parameter AI model, but this still lags far behind competitors like OpenAI who use several-trillion-parameter systems. Apple has no plans to release this more powerful system to customers yet.
- Talent Exodus: Apple lost its chief AI architect Ruoming Pang to Meta for a $200 million package in July. Many team members followed him or are interviewing elsewhere, either due to concerns about shifting to outside technology or to take advantage of high-paying job offers from other companies.
- User Impact: These changes should bring a smarter Siri and better apps, but raise privacy concerns since Apple may rely on external AI systems. The company is still testing two Siri versions - one using Apple's technology and another using outside partners.
Success depends on whether Apple can balance improved AI features with the privacy and security standards users expect.
What's Happening: Apple Makes Major AI Moves
Apple is making big changes to how it handles artificial intelligence. The company wants to catch up with other tech giants who are already ahead in AI development.
Apple is now working with outside partners instead of trying to do everything alone. This marks a shift in Apple's usual approach of building everything in-house.
Key Changes Apple Is Making:
- Google Partnership for Siri - Apple is talking with Google about using their advanced AI technology to make Siri work better and understand users more clearly
- Anthropic Deal for Coding - The company signed an agreement with Anthropic(rival to Openai), to help Apple's software developers write computer code faster and with fewer mistakes
- Leadership Changes - Apple replaced some managers in charge of AI projects because the current AI products were not meeting company goals
- New Strategy - Instead of building all AI tools from scratch, Apple now plans to work with proven AI companies to speed up development
Apple already uses ChatGPT as a secondary assistant to Siri in their present iPhones. Also, Apple is not only looking to partner with Google but also others like ChatGPT and Claude, but the decision of whom to partner with is still not made.
As of now, Apple is simultaneously developing two versions of the new Siri: one dubbed Linwood that is powered by its models and another code-named Glenwood that runs on outside technology.
Why Apple Needs Help With AI
Apple fell behind in the AI competition while other companies moved ahead quickly. The tech giant that once led innovation now struggles to keep up with rivals who started building advanced AI systems years ago.
The company's AI problems become clear when users compare Apple's tools to what competitors offer. Many Apple customers feel disappointed with the AI features they currently have access to.
Apple's Main AI Problems:
- Late Start in AI Race - While companies like Google and OpenAI began developing powerful AI tools in 2020 and 2021, Apple waited too long to focus seriously on artificial intelligence development
- Siri Falls Short - Apple's voice assistant cannot handle complex tasks that ChatGPT and Google Assistant do easily, such as having detailed conversations or providing helpful answers to difficult questions
- Apple Intelligence Disappoints - The company launched their new AI system called Apple Intelligence, but users report it does not work as well as promised and often gives poor results
- Broken Promises - Apple announced many new Siri features that would make the assistant smarter, but these updates have been pushed back several times, leaving customers waiting months longer than expected
- User Frustration - Many iPhone and iPad owners now use other AI apps instead of Apple's built-in tools because they work better for daily tasks
These issues explain why Apple decided to partner with other AI companies. The company realizes it needs expert help to build competitive AI products that users actually want to use.
The Google Partnership: What It Means for Siri
Apple and Google are discussing a partnership that could completely change how Siri works. This deal would bring Google's advanced AI technology directly into Apple devices, creating a much smarter voice assistant for iPhone and iPad users.
The partnership represents a major shift in how Apple operates. The company has always believed in controlling every part of their products, but now they are willing to work with their biggest competitor to solve AI problems.
What This Partnership Could Bring:
- Gemini AI Integration - Apple plans to use Google's Gemini AI model as the brain behind a new version of Siri, giving the assistant much better understanding and response abilities
- Breaking Apple's Tradition - This marks the first time Apple would rely on a competitor's core technology for such an important feature, showing how desperate they are to improve their AI capabilities
- Custom Training Process - Google is creating a special version of their AI model designed specifically to work well on Apple's processors and operating systems
- Head-to-Head Testing - Apple engineers are running tests comparing their own AI technology against Google's system to determine which one provides better results for users
- Faster Development - Using Google's proven AI technology could help Apple release improved Siri features much sooner than building everything from scratch
However, Apple is weeks behind in coming to a conclusion about whether to use their own models or Google's models to run Siri. These talks are in early stages, and when asked to comment, both companies avoided commenting on the question. Apple's internal team is testing both the Google models against their own models as of now.
New Coding Assistant: Apple Teams Up with Claude
Apple has partnered with Anthropic to build a better Xcode. This partnership brings Claude AI, one of the best coding assistants available, directly into Apple's software development process.
The new tool will make Apple's programmers more productive by helping them write better code in less time. This partnership shows Apple is willing to use outside expertise instead of struggling with their own failed attempts.
How This Coding Partnership Works:
- Claude AI Integration - Apple will use Anthropic's Claude AI system, which has proven skills in understanding and writing computer programming languages accurately
- Faster Code Writing - The tool will help Apple's software developers write new code more quickly by suggesting complete sections of programming instructions as they type
- Bug Detection and Fixes - Claude can spot mistakes in existing code and suggest corrections, helping programmers solve problems that might take hours to find manually
- Multiple Programming Languages - The assistant works with different coding languages that Apple uses to build apps, operating systems, and device software
- Replacing Failed Internal Tool - Apple tried to build their own coding assistant but it performed poorly, so they decided to use Claude instead of wasting more time on their broken version
- Better Software Quality - With Claude's help, Apple's programmers can focus on creative problem-solving while the AI handles routine coding tasks
Also, Apple initially was in talks with Claude to be their new Siri brain, but according to Bloomberg reports, the financial terms demanded by Anthropic led Apple to broaden the search and also talk with other AI companies.
Leadership Changes: New People in Charge
Apple's CEO Tim Cook decided to shake up the company's AI leadership team after poor results from current projects. The company moved key executives around to bring fresh ideas and better management to their struggling artificial intelligence efforts.
Apple sidelined AI chief John Giannandrea from Siri development. The project is now overseen by software boss Craig Federighi and Vision Pro headset creator Mike Rockwell, who are trying to use outside models to power up Siri.
Major Leadership Moves:
- AI Chief Gets Reassigned - Tim Cook moved the executive who was previously running all AI projects to a completely different department, essentially removing them from artificial intelligence work
- Vision Pro Creator Takes Over Siri - Mike Rockwell, the person who successfully developed Apple's virtual reality headset, now leads the team responsible for making Siri smarter and more useful
- Software Boss Gets More Power - Craig Federighi, who manages all of Apple's computer and phone software, received additional responsibilities for overseeing AI development across the company
- Fresh Perspective Strategy - Apple believes bringing in leaders from successful projects like the Vision Pro will help solve AI problems that the previous team could not fix
- Accountability for Failures - These changes send a clear message that Apple will replace managers who cannot deliver working AI products on time
What This Means for Regular Users
Apple's new AI partnerships and leadership changes will directly affect everyone who uses iPhones, iPads, and other Apple devices. These moves should bring noticeable improvements to daily tasks and app experiences over the next year.
However, these changes also raise important questions about privacy and security that Apple users have come to expect from the company.
Benefits Users Can Expect:
- Smarter Siri Assistant - Whether Apple uses their own technology or Google's Gemini, Siri should become much better at understanding complex requests and providing helpful answers
- Faster AI Feature Releases - By working with established AI companies instead of building everything alone, Apple can add new intelligent features to devices much quicker than before
- Better Mobile Apps - App developers will get improved coding tools powered by Claude AI, which should lead to higher quality iPhone and iPad applications with fewer bugs
- Competitive AI Tools - Apple finally admits they need outside help to match what Google, Microsoft, and other companies already offer their users
Privacy and Security Concerns:
- External Model Risks - Using Google's AI or other outside systems means user data might not stay as private as it does with Apple's own technology
- Trust Issues - Apple built its reputation on protecting user information, but depending on external AI models could weaken those privacy protections
- ChatGPT Integration - Apple users are not very happy with the recent ChatGPT integration into Siri, acting as a secondary assistant. Having a similar stance again with Google may not impress Apple users.
Conclusion
Apple is making huge changes to fix its AI problems and catch up with competitors. The company now works with Google and Anthropic instead of building everything alone, which shows how serious their AI struggles have become.
These partnerships could finally give users the smart Siri assistant they have wanted for years. App developers will also get better tools to create higher quality mobile applications. Apple's leadership changes prove the company knows it needs fresh ideas to succeed in AI.
However, users must consider privacy trade-offs when Apple uses outside AI systems. The company built its reputation on protecting user data, but external partnerships might weaken those protections. Apple is still testing whether to use their own AI models or partner models for the new Siri.
The next year will show whether Apple's new strategy can compete with Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI. Success depends on balancing better AI features with the privacy and security that Apple users expect.
