Siri’s New ‘Planner’: Google’s 1.2T Gemini, Thanks to $1B Deal

Siri is getting a new “planner” and “summariser,” and it’s Google’s 1.2 trillion parameter Gemini AI. Apple has agreed to a $1 billion-a-year “interim” deal to use its rival’s “ultrapowerful” model for the new “Linwood” Siri.

This “behind-the-scenes” integration is part of Apple’s “Glenwood” project to fix its lagging assistant. Google’s AI was chosen after it won a “bake-off” against OpenAI and Anthropic.

The new Siri, set for a spring release, will be a hybrid. Apple’s 150-billion parameter models will manage simple requests, while Google’s AI will power the multi-step, complex commands.

This is a reluctant step for Apple, admitting it needs a rival’s tech to compete. Meanwhile, Apple’s teams are pushing to build a 1T+ model to replace Gemini, but it’s a significant challenge.

The deal’s lynchpin is privacy. The Gemini model will be hosted on Apple’s “walled-off” Private Cloud Compute servers. This architecture, overseen by Craig Federighi and Mike Rockwell, ensures Google gets its money but no access to user data.