Apple Eyes AI-Powered Search for Safari, Threatening Google’s Default Status

Apple is reportedly exploring the integration of AI-driven search engines into its Safari browser, potentially disrupting Google’s dominant position as the default search provider, according to Bloomberg News.

During testimony in the U.S. Justice Department’s antitrust case against Alphabet, Apple executive Eddy Cue noted that Safari searches declined last month as users increasingly turned to AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity AI for information. Cue hinted that Apple is preparing to include such AI search engines in Safari, although they won’t become the default—at least not yet.

Google currently pays Apple an estimated $20 billion annually to remain Safari’s default search engine, a critical deal that supports roughly 36% of Google’s Safari-driven search ad revenue. Analysts warn that losing exclusivity could have “very severe consequences” for Google, already facing growing threats from emerging AI platforms.

Apple has already partnered with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into Siri, while Google is racing to embed its Gemini AI into upcoming Apple devices. As investor anxiety grows, Alphabet’s stock dropped 6% and Apple’s dipped 2% following the news.

If Safari opens up to AI search alternatives, advertisers could begin shifting ad budgets away from Google, weakening its grip on the $100+ billion search market.