Report: Apple Asks Google to Run Siri on Its Servers

[jarman92]

So, Apple's much vaunted, "You are not the product!", is no longer a reality. Google has many, many times shown that they consider their customers their primary product as sales to advertisers has always been, and still is, their primary source of revenue.

While I've been a user of Apple hardware since the late 70s, I'm becoming less likely to stick with Apple going forward.

No, "you are not the product" means that Apple doesn't sell you data or use it for targeted advertising. This has nothing to do with that.

 

[b0nd18t]

Apple needs to prevent a ChatGPT type problem where Google decides it’s okay to conduct mass surveillance using Gemini

 

[Will Co]

Gemini is just enterprise software. Apple installing Google Gemini on their cloud is the same as your company installing Microsoft Exchange on their internal servers. Doesn't mean all the data is going to Google.

I suppose it depends on how you read the article. It could be interpreted as Apple asking Google to help them setup Gemini on APPLE servers, in which case, yes, I agree. Or it could be interpreted as setting up Gemini on Google's servers. That would probably give a lot of people cause for concern. Myself included.

 

[QuantumPulse]

This feels a lot more like risk-mitigation and cost-savings. Maybe I'm just looking at this wrong but the whole setup reads as letting Google bear the full weight and brunt of the costs in building out, maintaining, and executing on cloud/AI infrastructure while  can divert their energies and resources elsewhere. For me, it feels more like "Sure... meet our requirements... you can host everything... In fact, we'll let you do 'this' and 'that'..." --I mean, even if  is paying Google billions for this, it's a drop-in-the-proverbial-bucket if the often-named AI "bubble" bursts, then companies invested in it (e.g., Google, OpenAI, etc.) are left behind while Apple can walk away with little or no risk. Apple is ridiculously strategic about investment so this "feels" more like letting Google take all the risk(s) involved.

Now, again, I'm probably and very well could be wrong here but if I'm looking at this as , the end-user/customer base doesn't really seem to care who or what goes on behind the curtain so long as the picture is clear and the sound is terrific. The sausage-making of this matters little to Apple so long as what comes out of the proverbial screen and speakers is exactly what and how they want it to. If someone else wants to deal with the risk of it "bursting" then it leaves  in the best possible position for mitigation and recovery, not Google.

 

[Dave245]

Apple already have connectors to other AI companies for Siri. I have my OpenAI account enabled for Siri, and if I ask What's the population of Bulawayo? I get a response back from ChatGPT through Siri. Works well.

I imagine their Gemini integration will just be tighter and more transparent. Google just make the car, Apple will be driving it.

I’ve tried the ChatGPT through Siri, Siri often has to hand off the question, asking permission. Gemini works a lot better and doesn’t need to ask for permission thus doesn’t require any extra steps.

Apple should have worked on all of this years ago. They had Siri from 2011. Google have gotten the lead over the Apple and it’s only getting embarrassing with every delay that Apple makes. That’s coming from an iPhone user!!

 

[Kar98]

So I might as well just get a Pixel and proper caller ID then?

 

[one more]

While I've been a user of Apple hardware since the late 70s, I'm becoming less likely to stick with Apple going forward.

So you will move to Google-owned Android because you don’t like the idea of Apple using Google servers?

I agree that this Google-dependency is not ideal and reminds us of the Maps fall-out, yet what choice do we have?

 

[turbo79]

I’ve tried the ChatGPT through Siri, Siri often has to hand off the question, asking permission. Gemini works a lot better and doesn’t need to ask for permission thus doesn’t require any extra steps.

Apple should have worked on all of this years ago. They had Siri from 2011. Google have gotten the lead over the Apple and it’s only getting embarrassing with every delay that Apple makes. That’s coming from an iPhone user!!

You can turn off the requirement for Siri to ask for permission to hand off to ChatGPT in Siri settings. I don't ask Siri anything terribly personal, so I am not worried by it going straight through.

 

[Dhonk]

So Siri is going to be Gemini renamed? At this point why not just buy a Pixel then and use Gemini.

My first thought is this is brilliant. As a shareholder of both, Apple has seen how Alphabet, Nvidia, and Amazon stock have been punished for their massive CapEx, while Apple’s stock has been doing fine after earnings. If Alphabet wants the Siri contract and is willing to spend $10s of billions on infrastructure, Apple should let them.

 

[Will Co]

Does it matter? Will you leave Apple if it runs on Google data centers?

I wouldn't be concerned at all if Gemini is running on Apple servers, with assistance from Google just to setup the infrastructure. If Google are running the show, or if the infrastructure is actually Google owned or maintained, then I have a very big problem with that because I have zero trust in Google.

Would I leave Apple? Not out of hand, no. But I would take every step possible to make sure that none of my data is going in that direction which would mean not using the new Siri services.

If it turns out that I don't have an option, and Apple forces me to start sending my data over to Google, data that I don't want Google to have, then yes, I would start considering my options. It might be painful, but I think it would be important to at least consider it.

 

[antiprotest]

Coming up:

Android. That's iPhone.

 

[kotaKat]

I hate how Google has groped and grabbed their way into the iPhone.

It’s disgusting.

 

[eifelbube]

WHICH COMPANY data centers? “Their’s”? Which company is that? Google or Apple? English is super imprecise in this article.

The title of the linked The Information article reads “Apple Discusses Google Hosting New Siri as Need for Cloud Help Grows”.

 

[ClaraStahlbaum]

I don't use Siri. Never used it once, and I will likely never use it.

 

[PixelPanics]

If this is true I will disable Siri on day one

 

[crsh1976]

Siri, powered by Google

I imagine their Gemini integration will just be tighter and more transparent. Google just make the car, Apple will be driving it.

It sounds a lot more like Apple will be paying Google for the car, the driver and the gaz.

It's a subscription plan.

 

[jole]

Apple now wants to be prepared for a potential surge in AI use on its devices

Holy moly — NOW? In order to launch new Siri to ungodly number of devices overnight, the preparation should taken place 2 years ago.

Prepare for Apple Maps/Ping/MobileMe launch.

 

[CEmajr]

Makes sense. Google is far ahead with Gemini so Apple may as well use them for Siri rather than trying to play catch up in that arena.

 

[TJFDenver]

iGoogle 1, iApple 0

Sign

iBixby

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Oh, The Information. That’s the outfit that said Apple had only 45 million Apple TV subscribes. No way for them to know, really, so I know how to take THIS information from THE information. 🙂

 

[justanotherdave]

So much for “Privacy. That’s iPhone.”

So much for not having a clue how cloud computing works.

Apple stores your iCloud Photos on Google servers. Google has NO IDEA what your data contains or who it belongs to even though it’s stored on Google servers.

Why do people believe it would be any different for other types of cloud services?

 

[Mousse]

Does it matter? Will you leave Apple if it runs on Google data centers?

Leave Apple and go where? Google? With the iOS/Android duopoly, your choice is now be stomped on by the right foot or the left foot.😢

There's too much collaboration between Apple and Google today.😓

 

[dominiongamma]

So much for “Privacy. That’s iPhone.”

Anyone who believed from the start fooled themselves

 

[Princejb134]

Apple was never going to be able to compete in the AI space. For AI to work and improve, you needs lots of data that apple doesn't capture due to privacy concerns.

 

[H_D]

Boy, we will all be pissed when David Ellison buys Apple.