Apple is considering shifting Safari toward AI-powered search engines due to the potential collapse of its $20 billion-a-year deal with Google.

Apple executive Eddy Cue testified that AI search tools like OpenAI, Perplexity, and Anthropic could eventually replace traditional engines, though they aren’t ready to become Safari’s default yet.

Safari searches dipped last month for the first time, which Cue linked to rising AI usage, suggesting users are increasingly turning to generative AI tools for information.

Apple already offers ChatGPT through Siri and is evaluating other AI providers like Gemini, Anthropic, Grok, DeepSeek, and Perplexity for integration.

Cue emphasised that AI is a major tech shift opening doors for new competitors, and believes even if AI indexes aren’t yet strong, their overall features may drive user adoption.

Despite exploring AI options, Cue said losing the Google deal would hurt Apple financially and confirmed Google still offers the most lucrative terms, which keeps it as Safari’s default search engine.

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