Google and Apple are clashing with the EU over the future of AI assistants

The European Commission is challenging Google and Apple's dominance in the AI race by demanding greater openness on their smartphone platforms. With billions of active Android phones and iPhones worldwide, the tech giants hold a significant advantage in deploying AI assistants. The EU regulator wants to ensure that other virtual assistants can gain prominence alongside Google's Gemini and Apple's Siri.

“

I would say that we have to take these tech companies’ arguments with a grain of salt and look at whether they’ve cared about privacy up to the point where suddenly a decision was affecting them in ways they don’t like.

Under the Digital Markets Act, which took effect in 2023, the European Commission is mandating that Google grant broader access to its Android operating system for third-party AI agents by July 2027. This move aims to create a more competitive landscape for AI services on smartphones. The EU believes users should have a wider array of choices for AI services and search functions, including the ability to use voice commands with external AI agents and allow them to operate apps on their behalf.

Google and Apple have voiced strong objections, citing potential privacy and security risks. Google's president of global affairs, Kent Walker, argued that opening up Android would grant external apps access to sensitive device permissions, posing a major security threat. He also stated that sharing search data would compromise citizen privacy and national security. Apple, citing the Digital Markets Act, announced it would not launch its new Siri AI assistant in the EU on iPhones and iPads.

“

The commission wants EU Android users to have a “wider and more feature-rich range of options to choose from, both when it comes to their AI services on Android and to search services.

While experts acknowledge the potential security vulnerabilities of opening up operating systems, some question the sincerity of Google and Apple's privacy concerns. Calli Schroeder of the Electronic Privacy and Information Center suggests that these companies' arguments should be viewed skeptically, especially when regulations directly impact their business interests. The commission also wants Google to share search data with other AI chatbots and search engines starting in January, enabling competitors to offer similar user experiences.

“

Google says the Android changes would pose a major security risk because it would give external apps “sensitive and powerful device permissions.