Apple is reportedly considering a major overhaul of its Safari web browser to integrate AI-powered search engines, a move that could reshape the tech landscape and signal the beginning of the end of its long-standing partnership with Google.
This revelation came from Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services, during his testimony in the US Justice Department’s antitrust case against Google’s parent company, Alphabet.
At the heart of the trial is a deal worth an estimated $20 billion a year, under which Google remains the default search engine on Apple devices. That agreement is now under threat — and so is the status quo for billions of Apple users.
Cue said Apple is closely watching emerging AI search providers such as OpenAI, Perplexity, and Anthropic, believing they could eventually replace traditional search engines like Google. While Apple is not ready to make any of them the default option just yet, it is planning to include these AI tools in Safari in the future.
Search activity on Safari reportedly dipped last month for the first time, which Cue attributed to users turning to AI tools instead of conventional search engines. He noted that while these AI services still need to improve their search indexes, they already offer features compelling enough to attract users.
Apple’s exploration of AI integration comes as competition in the space intensifies. The company already offers ChatGPT as an option within Siri and is expected to include Google’s Gemini AI later this year. It has also evaluated services like Elon Musk’s Grok, China’s DeepSeek, and Microsoft’s Bing.
Still, Cue admitted that despite the rise of AI, losing Google’s revenue-sharing deal would have a significant financial impact on Apple’s services division, which recently posted record earnings of $26.6 billion. He said the agreement with Google continues to offer the best financial terms.
Apple is expected to unveil upgrades to its AI platform, Apple Intelligence, at its annual developer conference on June 9, as the company races to keep pace in the fast-moving AI landscape.
