Apple Wants to Add AI Search to Safari Browser, May Challenge Google, Says Exec Eddy Cue

Safari may soon get an upgrade as it was revealed that Apple is considering adding an AI search feature to its web browser. This was revealed by Apple Senior Vice President of Services Eddy Cue during Google's search antitrust case, where he appeared as a witness.

Google and Apple have a long history together, including the deal that led to go Google providing the default search engine on iPhones. Their deal dates back to 2014 when they reached a $1 billion agreement.

Apple Wants to Add AI Search to Safari, Says Exec

As first reported by Bloomberg, Cue recently took the stand in the DOJ v. Google antitrust case over the tech company's search and advertising monopoly. Here, the Apple executive not only talked about the deal between Apple and Google, but also the next steps for the company to grow their technology by adding an AI search feature to Safari.

However, it would not be what people think of as Apple will not create its own AI search technology. Instead, it plans to find a viable partner from companies that already offer them.

It was revealed that Apple has already had talks with Perplexity, but there are no definitive plans yet shared by Apple's SVP regarding this information. Moreover, Cue did not address whether they are considering using a previous AI partner, specifically OpenAI's SearchGPT, as they already integrated ChatGPT to Siri.

Challenging Google's Gemini AI Search

Cue believes that AI technology will overtake and replace traditional search engines, with a version of Safari hinted at featuring AI. According to the executive, Apple already has the resources to engage on this, as well as many companies to partner with that can help them make this a reality. However, he was not able to provide any timelines as to when this can happen.

Apple's latest plan is looking to challenge Google's AI search capabilities as well, with this being powered by its Gemini model.

Apple's Default Search Engine

Previous reports revealed that Apple and Google's default search engine deal is ending, and there had been speculations that the Cupertino-based tech giant is planning to create a rival for Google.

However, apart from this deal being beneficial to Apple as it earns by keeping Google as its default search engine, there is also a reason revealed by Cue about why the company has held on to this technology.

Cue said that there are no other search engines that can match the proficiency offered by Google, and that other alternatives are unable to bring what the company has been able to provide to devices.

Rumors about Apple's search engine have been thrown around over the past months, but there is no evidence that the company is creating one to rival Google, as of press time.