In a surprising revelation during his testimony during the United States (US) government's antitrust trial against Google, CEO Sundar Pichai confirmed that Google's flagship Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform, Gemini, could soon become a built-in option on Apple's iPhones.
According to Mint, Pichai expressed optimism about reaching an agreement with Apple by mid-year, which would mark a significant expansion of Google's AI ecosystem into its competitor's territory.
The disclosure came as Pichai testified in the ongoing antitrust case brought by the US Department of Justice, which primarily focuses on Google's multibillion-dollar arrangement to be the default search engine on Apple's Safari browser.
If the negotiations prove successful, Gemini would join Apple Intelligence and OpenAI's ChatGPT as AI options available to Apple device users.
"I've had a series of conversations with Tim Cook across last year," Pichai told the court. "I'm hopeful we can get Gemini added as an option this year."
This potential collaboration continues the complex relationship between the tech giants, who have maintained partnerships despite their competitive stance in the market.
The timing could align with Apple's upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference in June, where the company is expected to unveil iOS 19 and other software updates. Bloomberg, which first reported these discussions in March last year, has recently confirmed that negotiations are progressing toward a likely agreement.
