Google Announces Its Own Version of Apple's Private Cloud Compute

[MacRumors]

Google this week announced Private AI Compute, a new cloud-based system designed to deliver AI capabilities using its Gemini models while maintaining strict data privacy controls, a framework that closely parallels Apple's own Private Cloud Compute technology.

According to Google, the service enables AI tasks that exceed the processing capacity of local hardware to be handled securely in the cloud without exposing personal data to the company or third parties.

For decades, Google has developed privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) to improve a wide range of AI-related use cases. Today, we're taking the next step in building helpful experiences that keep users safe with Private AI Compute in the cloud, a new AI processing platform that combines our most capable Gemini models from the cloud with the same security and privacy assurances you expect from on-device processing. It's part of our ongoing commitment to deliver AI with safety and responsibility at the core.

Private AI Compute is built using custom Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) with integrated Titanium Intelligence Enclaves (TIE). These hardware-secured enclaves form an isolated, "fortified space" where AI workloads can be processed without direct access to raw user data. Devices connect to the environment using remote attestation and encrypted channels, ensuring that all data transferred remains inaccessible to Google's engineers or infrastructure administrators.

The system will first power new AI experiences on Pixel 10 devices, such as enhancements to Magic Cue, an AI assistant that provides contextually aware suggestions, and an upgraded Recorder app capable of summarizing transcriptions in additional languages. Both rely on Gemini's larger models in the cloud, which require significantly greater computing resources than on-device NPUs can provide.

Private AI Compute is extremely similar to Apple's Private Cloud Compute, which it launched last year. Apple's system supports Apple Intelligence features and uses custom servers containing Apple silicon chips that operate as verifiable, sealed environments for processing AI tasks.

Article Link: Google Announces Its Own Version of Apple's Private Cloud Compute

 

[zenmacx]

Private…

It all depends on how that word is defined

 

[Anaxarxes]

With a history like this (https://www.thurrott.com/google/165728/google-caught-sneaky-location-data-collection) Surely this is very private.

 

[555gallardo]

How dare they to copy something they're developing for Apple?

(heavy sarcasm)

 

[gleepskip]

This is like hiring a burglar to housesit while you're on vacation.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Private…

It all depends on how that word is defined

Agreed.

The only private cloud is the one on your LAN.

 

[Techwatcher]

Most likely this was part of the deal where Apple pays Google a billion dollars, but on the premise that Google gets their privacy sh*t together.

This inadvertently helps Android users. Not bad at all.

 

[zenmacx]

Agreed.

The only private cloud is the one on your LAN.

Precisely!

Thats exactly why I maintain my own in-house network and NAS.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Most likely this was part of the deal where Apple pays Google a billion dollars, but on the premise that Google gets their privacy sh*t together.

This inadvertently helps Android users. Not bad at all.

I doubt that. Apple accepting $20 billion a year, every year, to set Google as the default search says otherwise.

 

[JustSomebody12]

Most likely this was part of the deal where Apple pays Google a billion dollars, but on the premise that Google gets their privacy sh*t together.

This inadvertently helps Android users. Not bad at all.

I don’t think it’s that.

I think it’s more google seeing a way to reassert its dominance, and focusing on fixing the biggest drawback of its solutions.

I mean, Gemini is a big advantage Google has over Apple, it’s wise to fix its worst “vulnerabilities”

 

[jarman92]

How dare they to copy something they're developing for Apple?

(heavy sarcasm)

Google is providing Apple a version of its foundation model, not developing Private Cloud Compute; Apple already did that.

 

[MyOwnDrummer]

But do we trust Google? No, we don’t. It’s not that I like or trust Apple, but I know Google, and with Apple I at least have a better chance of privacy.

 

[Naraxus]

El oh el. Google & Privacy.....those are two words that don't belong in the same sentence...

 

[justanotherdave]

Most likely this was part of the deal where Apple pays Google a billion dollars, but on the premise that Google gets their privacy sh*t together.

This inadvertently helps Android users. Not bad at all.

Google doesn’t have to do anything with regard to Apple. Basically Apple is running Google AI software/models on their own private servers. Google doesn’t have access to any of the data so there’s no privacy risks.

 

[mikebenton]

Sure....just send over that 87-page privacy policy and I'll take a gander.

 

[eltoslightfoot]

Sure....just send over that 87-page privacy policy and I'll take a gander.

You are going to use Google Gemini to summarize it aren’t you.

 

[justanotherdave]

I doubt that. Apple accepting $20 billion a year, every year, to set Google as the default search says otherwise.

And? Google doesn’t have a “back door” into iOS devices nor do they get any sort of special access to user data because of this deal. It’s simply money to set a default. iOS protections regarding your privacy and personal information are still 100% intact.

It’s a great deal for Apple to get a huge chunk of money while still keeping your data private. It also shows that Google considers iOS users highly valuable in that even basic search queries without user identifiers is worth the money.

Even Google knows iOS is a superior ecosystem compared to Android.

 

[justanotherdave]

Suuuure.

From the company that has been caught countless times. Google & privacy are like a certain politician and lying. It happens so often people don’t pay attention anymore.

Remember when Google found a flaw in Safari and instead of reporting it to Apple they exploited it to allow continued tracking without user permission?

A company that gets the majority of their revenues from advertising (and would cease to exists without that revenue) can’t be trusted with anyone’s data. They literally need your information to survive.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

And? Google doesn’t have a “back door” into iOS devices nor do they get any sort of special access to user data because of this deal. It’s simply money to set a default. iOS protections regarding your privacy and personal information are still 100% intact.

It’s a great deal for Apple to get a huge chunk of money while still keeping your data private. It also shows that Google considers iOS users highly valuable in that even basic search queries without user identifiers is worth the money.

Even Google knows iOS is a superior ecosystem compared to Android.

Without user identifiers? I would bet money that majority are logged into a Google account when searching, and even if not, they still set cookies.

You call it a "great deal"; I call it payola.

 

[Amazing Iceman]

Private…

It all depends on how that word is defined

It's more like "I promise all your secrets will stay between us", where 'us' is an undefined variable.

 

[Ctrlos]

Someone I know at Google said that people struggled for days against adversity to get those Titanium Intelligence Enclaves up and running on time.

You could say they were TIE Fighters.

 

[iHorseHead]

But do we trust Google? No, we don’t. It’s not that I like or trust Apple, but I know Google, and with Apple I at least have a better chance of privacy.

I do trust Google as much as I trust Apple, given that the ads they give me on YouTube are completely irrelevant to me.
I've also heard that from others. If they want us to watch ads then why not use AI or something to make ads more interesting to us? I still get ads by Booking and Linkedin ads even though I have those. I don't need to download those again.

 

[gleepskip]

Google & privacy are like a certain politician and lying.

All politicians fit that analogy.

 

[BabyBoii]

who do we trust more bois?

 

[Dreamweaver12]

This is a *very* carefully worded statement that, in practice, means absolutely nothing for privacy:

Devices connect to the environment using remote attestation and encrypted channels, ensuring that all data transferred remains inaccessible to Google's engineers or infrastructure administrators.