Apple Unveils Gemini-Powered Siri AI and 2nm A20 Pro
Apple’s Siri overhaul is central to its effort to close the gap with rivals in generative AI. After setbacks delayed promised capabilities, the company introduced Siri AI on June 8 and turned to Google’s Gemini under a deal reportedly worth about $1 billion annually. The strategy seeks to deliver more personalized assistance while preserving Apple’s emphasis on on-device processing and privacy.
At Apple’s Sept. 9 “Surprise and Shine” event, newly appointed CEO John Ternus said Siri AI was ready, with the assistant handling 2.5 billion daily requests and working across more than 300,000 apps. Apple also unveiled the A20 Pro, manufactured on TSMC’s 2-nanometer process. Its two 16-core Neural Engines provide 32 cores and double the previous generation’s AI compute performance, powering the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo.
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The history behind this eventApple CEO Ternus Takes On Outsourced AI Strategy, Siri Revamp
John Ternus has taken over as Apple’s chief executive as the iPhone maker seeks to close a widening gap in generative artificial intelligence. He inherits a strategy that leans on outside partners, including Google, rather than relying solely on Apple-built models. The approach is central to a long-delayed Siri overhaul and could reshape how Apple differentiates its devices and services while preserving the margins underpinning its hardware-led business.
Ternus’s first major test will come at Apple’s September product event, when the revamped Siri is set to face public scrutiny. Apple is paying Google about $1 billion a year to use Gemini to power the assistant. While the partnership could accelerate deployment, expanding AI features across Apple’s installed base may leave the company with a steep, recurring bill for cloud infrastructure and inference capacity.
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