The first signs of Apple’s big Apple Intelligence upgrade have been seen in code fragments.
A promised update to Apple Intelligence could come sooner rather than later, according to a new report. Code fragments discovered by Mac Rumors analyst Aaron Perris reveal that Apple has begun work on adding Google Gemini as an optional third-party AI model for customers using Apple Intelligence.
February 28 Update below: Google Gemini will soon power Google Translate, providing significantly-improved translation options. This article was originally posted on February 25.
First hinted at shortly after WWDC 2024, this upgrade will let users switch between ChatGPT and Gemini when processing AI jobs in the cloud. For example, iPhone users can enable ChatGPT on their devices via the “Apple Intelligence & Siri” menu. Doing so allows selected AI tasks to be handed over to ChatGPT for processing either with or without a ChatGPT account. Adding Google Gemini as an option would allow these queries to be passed on to Gemini instead, although we don’t yet know whether this will work without a Google account.
Apple Intelligence Receives Much-Needed Google Upgrade
This is a much-needed upgrade, as different AI models can vary substantially, not only in terms of their abilities but also in terms of any inherent biases or other safety-related issues inherent in the AI model. Customers who use Google products such as Gmail or Google Workspace will likely find that Gemini integrates much better with these services, or they may prefer Gemini’s image-processing and multimodal features over ChatGPT.
Furthermore, allowing Apple Intelligence to integrate multiple AI models as required gives customers more choice and helps Apple Intelligence keep up with the latest developments in AI without becoming reliant on a single third-party AI company. Giving customers the option to switch also ensures that Apple Intelligence can continually adapt by switching to the best-performing AI models.
Responses to Perris’ original tweet reveal significant interest in competing AI models such as xAI’s Grok 3, or even the ability for users to host their own AI models on private servers. While there’s no indication that Apple will enable either of these options, Apple Intelligence’s flexible design could allow them in the future.
Apple has yet to make an official announcement regarding the launch of the new Gemini integration for Apple Intelligence, but given that we’ve now seen the code for the feature, I expect it to come soon.
February 28 Update: Google Translate to gain enhanced Google Gemini-powered AI translations
A new report reveals that Google’s Gemini AI model will be finding its way into even more of the apps we use day-to-day, regardless of which AI provider you might select for Apple Intelligence on your Apple device. According to Android Authority, Google Translate will soon use Gemini to enhance and expand translations in the app with additional context and conversational-style interaction with the user.
While this report is based on code found within the Android Google Translate app, it’s likely that the iOS version will follow a similar route, showing that multiple AI platforms could be in use at any one time on your Apple devices.
Follow @paul_monckton on Instagram.
