Apple expands Private Cloud Compute to run some AI on Google Cloud

In short: Apple says it can run more of its AI in the cloud, including on Google Cloud servers, while keeping the same privacy protections it claims when processing stays on your device.

What happened

Apple used its WWDC 2026 event to push a clear message about its AI features, privacy comes first. The company said Apple Intelligence and its updated Siri AI will work across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro.

Apple’s setup works in two places. Some requests are handled on your device. Other requests go to Apple’s “Private Cloud Compute,” which is Apple’s secure cloud system (think of it like sending a task to a locked back room when your phone cannot do it fast enough).

Apple says it does not store the content of these cloud requests. It says the data is only used to complete the task, and is not accessible to Apple. It also says Siri AI conversation logs are kept on your device and in your end-to-end encrypted iCloud account (end-to-end encrypted means only you can read it, not Apple).

The big change is where that cloud work happens. The Verge reports that Apple’s new cloud AI models are based on Google Gemini, and that Private Cloud Compute now also runs on Google Cloud using chips from Nvidia, Intel, and Google.

Why it matters

This is important because many people worry that AI tools collect too much personal data. Apple is betting that “we collect less” will win trust, even as it relies more on partners like Google to run parts of its AI. The key question to watch is whether Apple’s privacy promise holds up as more companies and hardware are involved.

Source: The Verge AI