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Apple Can Create Smaller On-Device AI Models From Google's Gemini

Apple has full access to Gemini to customize the model for Siri and other AI features, reports The Information. Google gave Apple "complete access" to the Gemini model in its own data centers, and Apple can use the access for distillation, or creating smaller models for specific tasks. Apple is able to design models that are built to run on Apple devices without the need to connect to the internet.

google gemini
The Information explains that Apple can ask the main Gemini model to perform a series of tasks that provide high-quality results, with a rundown of the reasoning process. Apple can feed the answers and reasoning information that it gets from Gemini to train smaller, cheaper models. With this process, the smaller models are able to learn the internal computations used by Gemini, producing efficient models that have Gemini-like performance but require less computing power.

Apple is also able to edit Gemini as needed to make sure that it responds to queries in a way that Apple wants, but Apple has been running into some issues because Gemini has been tuned for chatbot and coding applications, which doesn't always meet Apple's needs.

Apple is relying on Google's Gemini models for the smarter, chatbot version of Siri that's planned for iOS 27, but the Apple Foundation Models team is still working on Apple AI models that are distinct from the Gemini models.

‌Siri‌ will be able to do many of the same things that Gemini and other chatbots are able to do, such as answering questions, summarizing information, scanning and understanding uploaded documents, telling stories, providing emotional support, and completing tasks like booking travel.

Tags: Gemini, Google

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Top Rated Comments

25 weeks ago

Finally! Apple doing what they do best.
The mainstream models were created by ingesting the world's data. It didn't make sense for Apple to go and do that themselves when it's already been done, especially by Google which has excelled at that.

Apple is all about bringing a technology to the masses in a friendly, efficient way. The long game.

They didn't invent the graphical interface. They perfected it.

They didn't invent the mouse. They perfected it.

They didn't invent the portable computer. They perfected it.

They didn't invent the digital music player. They perfected it.

They didn't invent the smartphone. They perfected it.

... and now we have the AI experience, ready to be perfected.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
25 weeks ago

Gemini is the worst AI I've used to date, in my testing anyway.
First of all, what does that have to do with this news? Secondly, your "testing" must have some serious flaws because currently, Gemini is the best LLM on the market. That, of course, can change very soon.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
25 weeks ago

The mainstream models were created by ingesting the world's data. It didn't make sense for Apple to go and do that themselves when it's already been done, especially by Google which has excelled at that.

Apple is all about bringing a technology to the masses in a friendly, efficient way. The long game.

They didn't invent the graphical interface. They perfected it.

They didn't invent the mouse. They perfected it.

They didn't invent the portable computer. They perfected it.

They didn't invent the digital music player. They perfected it.

They didn't invent the smartphone. They perfected it.

... and now we have the AI experience, ready to be perfected.
They didn't invent the virtual assistant (i.e. Siri), they... Crap. Bad example.

Let me try this again....

They didn't invent advertisements in Maps, they'll perfect it.

https://www.macrumors.com/2026/03/23/apple-maps-ads-coming-soon/
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
25 weeks ago
Finally! Apple doing what they do best.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SilmarilFinder Avatar
25 weeks ago

They didn't invent the mouse. They perfected it
Absolutely


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Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
25 weeks ago

The mainstream models were created by ingesting the world's data. It didn't make sense for Apple to go and do that themselves when it's already been done, especially by Google which has excelled at that.

Apple is all about bringing a technology to the masses in a friendly, efficient way. The long game.

They didn't invent the graphical interface. They perfected it.

They didn't invent the mouse. They perfected it.

They didn't invent the portable computer. They perfected it.

They didn't invent the digital music player. They perfected it.

They didn't invent the smartphone. They perfected it.

... and now we have the AI experience, ready to be perfected.
Claude might want a word.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)