Apple Explores AI Search Integration for iPhone

Apple is “actively considering” a revamp of its Safari browser to incorporate search engines powered by artificial intelligence. This was revealed by the company’s senior vice president for services, Eddy Cue, during antitrust hearings involving the US Department of Justice against Alphabet, as reported by Bloomberg. 

The dispute centers around a deal between the two companies valued at $20 billion annually, which makes Google the default search engine in Apple’s browser. 

If the iPhone maker transitions to AI search engines, it could lead to the termination of the agreement and alter the usual functioning of smartphones and other devices. 

Google’s shares fell following the publication of the news. 

Cue added that last month, the number of search queries in Safari decreased for the first time. This is attributed to the growing popularity of AI-based chatbots, as people increasingly turn to them instead of traditional internet searches. 

According to Apple’s vice president, AI search providers like OpenAI, Perplexity, and Anthropic will eventually replace standard search engines. In the future, Apple will add these capabilities to Safari.

“We will add them to the list, but they probably won’t be used by default,” he said. 

Cue clarified that the company has already held talks with Perplexity.

“Before AI, I thought none of the other options were suitable. Today, I think the potential is much higher because new players have emerged who are solving the problem differently,” he said. 

Currently, Apple offers ChatGPT from OpenAI as an option in the digital assistant Siri. Later in 2025, the addition of Gemini, Google’s AI, is expected. The company has also considered Anthropic, Perplexity, DeepSeek, and Grok from Elon Musk’s xAI. 

The agreement with OpenAI allows for the inclusion of other artificial intelligence providers in the operating system, Cue emphasized. 

Before integrating ChatGPT, the Cupertino company negotiated with Google, but the latter proposed a deal containing “many things Apple would not agree to, and did not agree with OpenAI.”

iPhone Not Needed

Cue noted that technology is changing too rapidly, and in a few years, people might stop using devices that are common today. 

“Perhaps in 10 years, you won’t need an iPhone, as crazy as that sounds. True competition is only possible when technological shifts occur. They create these opportunities. AI is a new technological shift, and it creates new opportunities for new players,” he noted.

AI players need to improve search indexes, the expert added. However, even if this does not happen, they have other features that people will transition to. 

“There is enough money and major players now, and I don’t see how this [transition from standard search to AI] cannot happen,” Cue added. 

The Apple vice president stated that large language models—a key technology of generative AI—will continue to evolve, providing users with even more reasons to change their habits. 

However, Google should remain the default in Safari, Cue believes. The current agreement between the two companies offers “the most favorable financial terms.”

Last year, the firms expanded the agreement by integrating Google Lens into the Visual Lookup feature on the latest iPhone models. This allows users to take a photo and then apply AI for analysis. 

In June 2024, Apple announced the integration of ChatGPT and the launch of its own artificial intelligence, Apple Intelligence. However, some tools remain unavailable, including a smarter Siri. 

In March 2025, Apple’s senior director overseeing Siri, Robbie Walker, described the delays in releasing key AI features for the voice assistant as “nasty and shameful.” He noted that the team is going through a rough patch, and there are no timelines for launching new tools. 

In April, OpenAI made several changes to the ChatGPT Search engine to make online shopping more convenient and faster. The tool became one of the company’s most popular products, used over a billion times in a week.