Apple is reportedly planning to include AI-powered search options in its Safari browser to rival Google’s dominance.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Services Eddy Cue stated during his testimony in the U.S. Justice Department’s lawsuit against Alphabet.
Google continued to see growth in the overall number of search queries, including "total queries coming from Apple's devices and platforms."
Following the announcement that Safari would receive AI search features, Google-parent Alphabet's shares slipped 7.3% on Tuesday, erasing around $150 billion in market value.
Apple was “actively looking at” enhancing Safari by including its AI-powered search tools, Reuters reported, citing a source familiar with the matter.
The source outlined that Safari search volumes declined for the first time last month, as users shifted towards AI-assisted alternatives.
“People are seeing that Google Search is more useful for more of their queries,” Google said in a blog post.
The move suggests Apple could reduce its reliance on Google, which currently pays an estimated $20 billion annually to remain the default search engine on Apple devices.
Cue noted that he believes AI search providers will end up replacing traditional search engines like Google, which is why Apple is actively looking to add these services to its browser.
However, Cue said that these services probably won’t be the default, as he believes they still need to improve.
