Google and Apple have a big leg up in the AI race: their control of billions of smartphones around the world.
That’s according to the European Commission, which is now cracking down on what that means for AI assistants.
Apple and Google have long dominated the smartphone market, combining for roughly 5 billion active Android phones and iPhones worldwide, according to market research firm Omdia. And as AI continues to become more ubiquitous and specialized, the two tech giants are enabling their AI assistants to help complete tasks rather than just answer questions.
But the European Commission wants other virtual assistants to be just as prominent on smartphones as Google’s Gemini and Apple’s Siri. It’s now demanding that Google give other AI agents broader access to Android by July 2027. The EU’s mandate is part of the Digital Markets Act, a set of Big Tech regulations that went into effect in the region in 2023.
The European Commission believes this new mandate could help level the playing field in the AI race. About 427 million iPhones and Android phones fall under EU regulation, according to Omdia.
