Apple Plans to Bring AI Search to Safari

Apple is exploring a significant shift for its Safari web browser, potentially focusing on AI-powered search engines, according to a new report from Bloomberg. This consideration comes amid the ongoing US Justice Department lawsuit against Google and broader changes in the tech landscape, according to recent testimony from a key Apple executive.

Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of services, disclosed during testimony in the DOJ's antitrust case against Alphabet Inc. that Apple is "actively looking at" such a transformation for Safari. The lawsuit scrutinizes the substantial deal, estimated around $20 billion annually, that makes Google the default search engine in Apple's browser.

Cue noted that Safari searches dipped for the first time last month, attributing the decline to increased use of AI. He expressed a belief that AI search providers like OpenAI, Perplexity AI Inc., and Anthropic PBC could eventually supersede traditional search engines. Cue said Apple plans to add them to Safari's list of search options in the future, stating, "We will add them to the list — they probably won't be the default," and acknowledged they still need to mature. He specifically mentioned that Apple has held discussions with Perplexity.


"Prior to AI, my feeling around this was, none of the others were valid choices," Cue remarked. "I think today there is much greater potential because there are new entrants attacking the problem in a different way."

Currently, Apple offers OpenAI's ChatGPT through Siri and is anticipated to incorporate Google's AI search product, Gemini, later this year. Cue revealed Apple also evaluated Anthropic, Perplexity, DeepSeek, and Grok for these purposes. Cue said the agreement with OpenAI allows Apple to integrate other AI providers, including its own, into its operating systems.

Following Cue's comments, both Alphabet and Apple shares experienced a notable dip on Wednesday.

Cue also shared that before selecting ChatGPT for Apple Intelligence in iOS 18, there was a "bake-off" with Google. He said Google presented a term sheet with conditions Apple found unacceptable and did not agree to with OpenAI.


Looking ahead, Cue commented on the rapid pace of technological change, suggesting that user devices could be very different in a few years. "You may not need an iPhone 10 years from now as crazy as it sounds," he stated, adding that "AI is a new technology shift, and it's creating new opportunities for new entrants."

For AI search alternatives to improve, Cue said their search indexes would need enhancement. However, he believes other compelling features could drive user adoption even if index improvements are slow. "There's enough money now, enough large players, that I don't see how it doesn't happen," he said, referring to a shift from standard search to AI, also noting that the underlying large language models will continue to get better.

Despite these considerations, Cue stated his belief that Google should remain the default search option in Safari for now, admitting he has "lost sleep" over the potential loss of revenue share from their agreement. He affirmed Apple's current search deal with Google still offers the best financial terms.

The companies expanded their deal last year to include Google Lens integration within the Visual Intelligence feature on recent iPhones. Cue also mentioned that Apple's agreement for Microsoft Corp.'s Bing, a non-default Safari option, was recently amended to a year-to-year basis.

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