Apple May Ditch Google Search for Its Own AI-Powered Engine

Cracking the Search Status Quo

Apple is reportedly taking significant steps toward launching its own AI-enhanced search engine, potentially ending its multibillion-dollar partnership with Google, which currently powers search on Safari. According to insiders, Apple is intensifying internal efforts to build a Google alternative that integrates its proprietary AI, led in part by former Google executive and current Apple VP John Giannandrea. This development aligns with Apple’s increased investment in generative AI tools and its broader aim to future-proof core services. If successful, this move would not only shake up the tech giant’s long-standing collaboration with Google but also alter the mobile search ecosystem, which Google has dominated for decades.

Billions on the Line

Apple’s current deal with Google earns it an estimated $18 billion to $20 billion annually—making the potential pivot away from Google search especially controversial. The U.S. Department of Justice has cited this deal as a cornerstone in its antitrust case against Google, arguing it limits competition in the search market. Apple has long prided itself on controlling user experience end-to-end, and replacing Google with an in-house AI-powered engine would be a bold extension of that philosophy. Moreover, it could offer Apple a major new revenue stream—or at least more control—over how users access online content and ads via search.