Google Doubles Gemini Users to 900 Million as AI Ads Lift Revenue 16%
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 19
Google Doubles Gemini Users to 900 Million as AI Ads Lift Revenue 16%
5 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 19
900 million regular users now use Gemini, Google said at its I/O conference, more than doubling the chatbot’s audience in a year and putting it roughly level with OpenAI’s reported ChatGPT user base.
Google’s edge is increasingly commercial: the company said AI is already helping drive its core ad business, where quarterly advertising revenue rose 16% to $77 billion.
Gemini’s reach is set to widen further through distribution deals, with the model already built into Android and slated to become the foundation for a future version of Apple’s Siri.
That combination of scale, phone distribution and clearer monetization marks a sharp turnaround from Google’s shaky AI rollout two years ago and strengthens its claim to lead the race.
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Apple and Google Forge $4 Trillion AI Partnership: Gemini to Power Siri and Apple Intelligence in 2026
Overview
In early 2026, Apple and Google announced a major multi-year partnership to integrate Google’s advanced Gemini AI models and cloud technology into Apple’s ecosystem. This collaboration aims to power the next generation of Siri and Apple Intelligence features, with a significant Siri upgrade expected later in 2026. The announcement follows Apple’s internal challenges and delays in AI development, which led to executive changes. Consumers can look forward to learning more about the enhanced Siri and the introduction of iOS 27 at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference on June 8, 2026, marking a pivotal moment for both companies in the AI landscape.