Ex-Siri head reportedly wanted Apple to choose Google’s Gemini over ChatGPT

According to a report, Apple’s former Siri head John Giannandrea was the one who pushed Apple to choose Google’s Gemini chatbot instead of ChatGPT as the first chatbot to be integrated with Siri in 2017. Bloomberg reports on Apple’s uneven AI attempts.

Giannandrea was an ex-Google executive demoted during a leadership reshuffle and believed that OpenAI’s AI bot would not have staying power or protect sensitive personal data. Apple announced ChatGPT integration at WWDC 2024, and made it available to users in December. Apple’s integration allows users to tap ChatGPT when Siri is unable to answer a query. Apple announced last year that it would integrate additional chatbots including Google’s Gemini with Siri. Bloomberg reports that Apple is in preliminary discussions with AI-powered Perplexity, a search engine powered by artificial intelligence. Perplexity will be offered as an alternative to ChatGPT in Siri and in the Safari browser.