Apple is eyeing AI search for its Safari browser
It could be preparing for a different kind of search future.
For years, Google has felt untouchable in search. After all, it’s been the default on iPhones and Macs for years. Open Safari, type a question, and Google takes it from there. It’s been so automatic, so embedded in how we browse, that most people probably haven’t stopped to wonder if that could change. But recent developments suggest it just might.
Apple is reportedly exploring ways to integrate AI-powered search directly into Safari, according to Bloomberg. This isn’t just about tweaking search results—it’s about reimagining what it means to search in the first place, blending AI more deeply into the browser itself. And it’s coming at a time when the old search habits are starting to shift.
For the first time in 22 years, Google searches inside Safari actually dropped last month. That surprising stat came from Apple’s senior vice president of services, Eddy Cue, during testimony at Google’s ongoing antitrust trial. Cue linked the decline to the growing popularity of AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Microsoft’s Copilot, which many users are turning to instead of traditional search engines.
Kelechi Edeh
Apple is now considering adding those AI tools directly to Safari, potentially giving users a choice beyond Google for the first time in years.
While it hasn’t announced plans to replace Google outright, the mere possibility could put billions of dollars on the line. Right now, Google pays Apple around $20 billion a year to be Safari’s default search engine—a deal that accounts for roughly 36% of Google’s search ad revenue.
If Apple were to pull back from that partnership, the fallout could be massive. “Many advertisers have all of their search advertising with Google because it’s practically a monopoly,” said Gil Luria, an analyst at D.A. Davidson. “If credible alternatives emerge, advertisers could quickly shift their budgets.” The dominance Google has enjoyed for so long might suddenly feel threathened.
Meanwhile, this isn’t just about Google’s relationship with Apple. Across the web, AI-powered tools are already chipping away at the traditional flow of search traffic. Sites that once relied on clicks from Google results are seeing fewer visitors, as AI tools increasingly serve answers directly. Even Google’s own VP of Search, Pandu Nayak, admitted he couldn’t guarantee that traffic would bounce back as AI changes user behaviour.
Apple’s moves suggest it’s preparing for a different kind of search future and is keeping its options open. But underneath it all, it’s laying the groundwork for a world where Google isn’t the automatic gateway to the web. And for a company that’s spent decades at the center of search, that’s a future Google should be worried about.
