Apple and Google recently confirmed a huge AI partnership. The Gemini AI models will be the brains behind the upcoming AI-powered Siri upgrade. However, there’s someone else who’s unhappy with the situation. Elon Musk, never one to back down on X, quickly labeled the Apple and Google deal for a Gemini AI-powered Siri an “unreasonable concentration of power.”
Musk’s concern centers on the sheer scale of Google’s influence. He pointed out that Google already controls Android and the Chrome browser. By becoming the foundational brain for Apple Intelligence, the company could effectively secure a dominant position across the two most important mobile ecosystems on the planet, Musk alleges.
Why Elon Musk is sounding the alarm on the Apple-Google AI deal
While Musk frames his critique as an antitrust concern, there is a clear strategic element at play. His own AI startup, xAI, operates the Grok model, which competes directly with Google’s Gemini. Musk has spent the last year in legal battles with Apple and OpenAI, alleging that their previous partnerships created an unfair environment for rival AI services.
From Musk’s perspective, if Google becomes the default intelligence layer for both iPhone and Android users, smaller competitors like Grok could find themselves “boxed out” of the mobile market before they even get a chance to scale.
Apple’s defense: Privacy and control
Despite the backlash, Apple maintains that the deal was the result of a “careful evaluation.” They determined that Google offered the most capable foundation for their AI technology. To calm the nerves of privacy-conscious users, Apple has been very vocal about how the integration works.
Rather than handing over user data to Google, Apple is using its Private Cloud Compute infrastructure. This means that while Gemini provides the raw “silicon brainpower,” the actual processing happens within Apple’s secure environment. In theory, this allows Siri to benefit from Google’s advanced 1.2-trillion-parameter model without actually giving Google access to your personal messages or habits.
For Google, this deal is a massive win that goes beyond the rumored $1 billion annual licensing fee. It serves as a major validation of Gemini 3, which has recently overtaken several competitors in performance benchmarks. Winning over Apple solidifies its place as the premier provider of foundation models.
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