Apple's decision to partner with Google is “unreasonable,” billionaire Elon Musk has said. The Tesla CEO criticised the tech giants' new deal to power next-generation Siri and other Apple Intelligence features using Google's Gemini AI models.
Musk made the remark on X after Google confirmed a multi-year agreement with Apple to provide Gemini models and cloud infrastructure for Apple's future AI features.
Responding to an official Google post, Musk said the deal creates an “unreasonable concentration of power” for Google, which already controls major platforms such as Android and Chrome.
This seems like an unreasonable concentration of power for Google, given that the also have Android and Chrome
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 12, 2026
Under the partnership, Apple's next-generation Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google's Gemini AI technology. These models will power upcoming Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalised version of Siri expected later this year.
In a joint statement, Apple and Google said Apple selected Google after “careful evaluation,” calling Gemini the most capable foundation for its AI plans. Apple added that Apple Intelligence will continue to run on its own devices and its Private Cloud Compute system, while maintaining its industry-leading privacy standards.
Musk's criticism comes as his AI company, xAI, is suing Apple and OpenAI over their earlier partnership that brought ChatGPT to Siri as an optional feature. Musk has claimed Apple's App Store practices favour OpenAI and make it harder for competing assistants, such as xAI's Grok, to gain visibility.
Siri has historically lagged behind competitors Alexa and Google Assistant in handling complex, multi-step requests and integrating with third-party apps. Apple will use Gemini as a temporary solution until its AI systems are ready, as per Reuters.
The Gemini collaboration could cost Apple around $1 billion per year as the company looks to catch up in the AI race, according to a Bloomberg report. Apple had already struck a deal with OpenAI in 2024, but the Gemini agreement reportedly gives the company greater control over the AI models running its platforms.
The partnership is separate from earlier talks about integrating Gemini directly as a chatbot and will not bring Google AI search into Apple devices.
