Apple’s AI chief John Giannandrea really wanted Google’s Gemini running Siri, mostly because Gemini plays nice with privacy—unlike OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which he joked is like handing your secrets to a reality TV producer. Guy’s got trust issues, but hey, who can blame him? Apple’s whole “we’re the good guys” image was on the line, even as they went with ChatGPT for convenience. But don’t worry, Gemini isn’t out of the picture yet—there’s more to this backstage drama.
Kicking off yet another round of Silicon Valley drama, Apple’s former AI chief John Giannandrea—yes, the guy who once helmed both Siri and a chunk of Google’s own AI empire—threw his weight behind Google’s Gemini for powering Siri, not OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
That’s right, Giannandrea, with résumé highlights that make most tech leads look like interns, wasn’t shy about expressing his “Gemini or bust” stance. Why? For starters, he saw Gemini as the better fit for Apple’s AI roadmap, especially when it came to privacy—something Apple likes to shout from its Cupertino rooftops.
Here’s the kicker: Giannandrea’s faith in Gemini wasn’t just nostalgia for his Google glory days. He pointed out Gemini’s rigorous privacy guardrails, contrasting them with what he saw as ChatGPT’s… let’s say, “looser” approach to user data.
Apple’s squeaky-clean privacy image was at stake, after all. He even questioned OpenAI’s long-term game plan, suggesting that trusting ChatGPT with Siri might be like handing your diary to a reality TV producer. Not exactly Apple’s vibe. This debate highlights the compliance challenges companies face as they navigate AI partnerships across fragmented regulatory landscapes with different privacy standards.
But Apple, ever the pragmatic giant, ultimately hitched Siri’s wagon to ChatGPT at WWDC 2024. The choice of AI partners demonstrates a balance between technical merit, market dynamics, and Apple’s overarching privacy values. Why? Simple:
- ChatGPT had hype. Everyone and their grandma knew about it.
- OpenAI’s tools made integration a breeze.
- Fast rollout? Check—millions got the upgrade by year’s end.
- Apple’s previous AI efforts faced criticism for spreading misleading content, leading to a pause in their AI news alerts.
Still, privacy anxiety wasn’t just Giannandrea’s pet peeve. Inside Apple, execs wrestled with the classic speed-versus-standards dilemma.
Gemini, whispered to be waiting in the wings for a 2025 cameo, was still very much in the mix. Google CEO Sundar Pichai openly teased future collaborations, while Apple’s own Craig Federighi dropped hints about Gemini’s iPhone debut.
