At Google Cloud Next, Thomas Kurian says Gemini will power Siri

Google Cloud chief Thomas Kurian said on April 22 that Google’s Gemini models will help power a more personalized Siri later in 2026. (9to5mac.com) (macrumors.com) Speaking at Google Cloud Next ’26 in Las Vegas, Kurian said Google is working with Apple as its “preferred cloud provider” to build the next generation of Apple Foundation Models based on Gemini technology. He said those models will power future Apple Intelligence features, including Siri. (9to5mac.com) (cloud.google.com) Apple has not given a launch date beyond 2026, but Google’s onstage wording narrowed the timeline to “later this year.” MacRumors reported Apple had already told CNBC in February 2026 that the upgraded Siri was still planned for this year. (macrumors.com) The basic idea is that Siri is moving from a command tool to a context-aware assistant. Apple’s planned upgrade lets Siri understand what is on screen, use personal data like messages and calendars with permission, and carry out actions across multiple apps. (bangkokpost.com) (business-standard.com) Those features were first shown by Apple at Worldwide Developers Conference 2024, when the company pitched Siri as a more useful layer across the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Apple later delayed that version, saying in March 2025 that the smarter Siri would arrive in the coming year. (macrumors.com) (bangkokpost.com) Kurian’s remarks matter because they turned a long-rumored Apple-Google tie-up into a public confirmation from Google’s top cloud executive. They also showed Apple leaning on an outside model provider at a moment when rivals have already shipped more conversational assistants. (macrumors.com) (business-standard.com) Google’s own blog post for Cloud Next ’26 did not name Apple in the published keynote transcript, but multiple outlets quoted Kurian’s Apple remarks from the event video and live coverage on April 22. (cloud.google.com) (9to5mac.com) (macrumors.com) Reports on the technical setup differ. MacRumors said it remains unclear whether Siri requests will run through Apple’s Private Cloud Compute or Google servers, while the Bangkok Post said Apple would keep user data on private servers managed by Apple. (macrumors.com) (bangkokpost.com) The next public checkpoint is likely Worldwide Developers Conference on June 8, 2026, where Apple is expected to introduce iOS 27 and could show the first Gemini-backed Siri features. Until then, the clearest new fact is that Google has now said the quiet part out loud. (9to5mac.com) (macrumors.com)