Apple Considers Move to AI Search, Signaling The End of An Era Defined by Google

Safari might soon be getting an AI makeover.

Apple is “actively looking at” revamping Safari to integrate AI-powered search engines, potentially replacing Google as the default search provider. That bombshell came straight from Eddy Cue, Apple’s SVP of Services, during his testimony in the DOJ’s antitrust case against Google. Cue said AI tools like OpenAI, Perplexity, and Anthropic are becoming strong alternatives—and that Apple is already in talks with some of them. Searches on Safari even declined for the first time last month, which Cue attributed to people shifting toward AI.

Cue emphasized that while Google still offers the best default experience today, AI search is evolving fast. Apple already uses ChatGPT in Siri and plans to add Gemini, Google’s AI model, later this year. Still, Cue noted that Apple’s agreement with Google “has the most favorable financial terms,” and losing it would be a serious hit to Apple’s services revenue—making the situation as strategic as it is technical.

The Google-Apple deal reportedly worth $20 billion annually is now under threat from both court rulings and consumer behavior. The DOJ’s case argues that this default deal unfairly cemented Google’s monopoly. Meanwhile, Apple’s willingness to explore AI search options is a sign that even longstanding partnerships aren’t immune from disruption in the AI arms race. Alphabet’s stock plunged 7.26% on the news, and Apple’s dipped 1.14%.

With WWDC coming in June, Apple is expected to roll out updates to its “Apple Intelligence” platform, offering deeper integrations of AI into its OS ecosystem. Cue noted that while AI-powered tools still need better search indexing, they’re already doing things that might convince users to switch. As Apple weighs its next move, the search wars are heating up—and the era of default dominance might be coming to an end.