Apple and Google, in a rare joint statement to CNBC and subsequently released by Google on its company news site and X/Twitter account:

Apple and Google have entered into a multi-year collaboration under which the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google’s Gemini models and cloud technology. These models will help power future Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalized Siri coming this year.

After careful evaluation, Apple determined that Google’s Al technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models and is excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for Apple users. Apple Intelligence will continue to run on Apple devices and Private Cloud Compute, while maintaining Apple’s industry-leading privacy standards.

I have many questions, none of which are answered by this brief statement:

• How much money changes hands (and in which direction)?
• Does “based on” mean Apple will augment Google Gemini technology for its needs? Is it then a unique model?
• Will Gemini replace current Apple models in existing features? Will Image Playground, for example, see improvements in quality and style?
• Will OpenAI’s ChatGPT be replaced by Gemini as the “I can’t answer that” escalation, or will Siri simply use Gemini to answer questions directly?

I’m sure further details from Apple will be forthcoming, but for now, Google is carrying the load here: there’s nothing from Apple directly.

It’s worth noting that, as brief as the statement was, it explicitly calls out that Apple Intelligence will “continue to” run locally and on Apple’s Private Cloud Compute—not on Google’s servers. That alleviates a lot of privacy concerns.

This is undoubtedly a sound decision for Apple, both technically and financially, but it must be at least a little disappointing to some on the inside that they’re abandoning—at least publicly—years of internal AI efforts.

It’s a stark and public admission that those efforts were woefully insufficient, and quite the shift from Apple’s usual “Not Invented Here” syndrome.