Siri goes Gemini-powered

Apple set WWDC 2026 for the week of June 8–12 with a keynote on Monday, June 8, where it will present platform updates and “AI advancements.” (apple.com) Multiple reports say Apple has negotiated a multi‑year arrangement to use a custom Google Gemini model with roughly 1.2 trillion parameters and will pay about $1 billion per year for access. (macrumors.com) Reporting indicates the custom Gemini instance Apple will use for Siri is intended to run on Apple’s Private Cloud Compute infrastructure rather than Google‑hosted servers, according to people familiar with the deal. (artificialintelligence-news.com) Apple published iOS 26.4 on March 25, 2026, a release packed with nearly 40 fixes and security patches, even as outlets say some of the most advanced Gemini‑backed Siri features are being staged across subsequent updates. (forbes.com) (macrumors.com) Apple has been spotted testing a standalone, chatbot‑style “Ask Siri” app that maintains conversation history, accepts file uploads and lets users switch between voice and text inputs in a single interface. (digitaltrends.com) Before settling on Google’s Gemini, Apple reportedly evaluated alternatives including Anthropic and OpenAI during its vendor review, according to reporting that first surfaced in Bloomberg and was carried by major outlets. (cnet.com)