{"id":47689,"date":"2025-05-12T14:38:45","date_gmt":"2025-05-12T18:38:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/?p=47689"},"modified":"2025-05-12T14:38:45","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T18:38:45","slug":"ai-and-google-search-volume-in-safari","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/2025\/05\/12\/ai-and-google-search-volume-in-safari\/","title":{"rendered":"AI and Google Search Volume in Safari"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hartley Charlton<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Apple is looking at reworking Safari to directly support AI-powered search services, Bloomberg<\/em>’s Mark Gurman<\/a> reports<\/a>.<\/p>

[…]<\/p>

Cue said that searches on Safari dipped for the first time in April 2025—a change which he attributed to users switching to AI services. He added that he believes AI services such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude will eventually replace conventional search engines like Google. As a result, Apple will need to add them as options in Safari in the future. Cue said the company had already held discussions with Perplexity.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

Juli Clover<\/a> (Reddit<\/a>):<\/p>\n

“You may not need an iPhone 10 years from now, as crazy as it sounds,” Cue said. He was referring to the way that AI is likely to evolve in the coming years, and how wearables combined with intuitive AI functionality could replace traditional smartphones.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

M.G. Siegler<\/a>:<\/p>\n

This comment is obviously going to get headlines on its own<\/a> – Apple Exec: The iPhone is Doomed<\/strong> – but I read this more as someone making an almost off-handed comment about the theoretical future of AI. And actually, it seems more directed at the court to maybe take it easy on Google with these remedies – you know, such as maybe not ending their default search agreements. Because the market will do its thing in the end.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

John Gruber<\/a> (Primary Technology<\/a>):<\/p>\n

\n

If they can pay, Apple will listen. And I don’t think it’s bullshit, at all, that traditional web search is actually going into decline now because of AI. Honestly at this point it would be weird if it weren’t.<\/p>\n

But. Let’s say Apple would prefer for the current arrangement between Apple and Google to continue as is. But it’s under threat as a remedy in Google’s monopoly case. Is this not the perfect testimony?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

Federico Viticci<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Perplexity’s iOS voice assistant isn’t using any “secret” tricks or hidden APIs: they’re simply integrating with existing frameworks and APIs that any<\/em> third-party iOS developer can already work with. They’re leveraging EventKit<\/a> for reminder\/calendar event retrieval and creation; they’re using MapKit<\/a> to load inline snippets of Apple Maps locations; they’re using Mail’s native compose sheet and Safari View Controller<\/a> to let users send pre-filled emails or browse webpages manually; they’re integrating with MusicKit<\/a> to play songs from Apple Music, provided that you have the Music app installed and an active subscription. Theoretically, there is nothing stopping Perplexity from rolling additional frameworks such as ShazamKit<\/a>, Image Playground<\/a>, WeatherKit<\/a>, the clipboard<\/a>, or even photo library access<\/a> into their voice assistant. Perplexity hasn’t found a “loophole” to replicate Siri functionalities; they were just the first major AI company to do so.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

Google<\/a> (MacRumors<\/a>):<\/p>\n

\n

We continue to see overall query growth in Search. That includes an increase in total queries coming from Apple’s devices and platforms.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

M.G. Siegler<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Given that Google’s stock fell 7.5% yesterday on the testimony of Apple exec Eddy Cue<\/a> at the remedies portion of Google’s search antitrust trial, the company probably had to respond.<\/p>

[…]<\/p>

While there is no transcript of what Cue actually said, reading dozens of reports<\/a> on the matter would seem to paint a pretty clear picture that he noted that search queries fell in the Safari browser for the first time ever last month. “That has never happened in 22 years,” is his direct quote many publications are citing<\/a>. <\/p>

So how do we square that with Google’s response above? In particular, the notion that: “We continue to see overall query growth in Search. That includes an increase in total queries coming from Apple’s devices and platforms.”<\/p>

<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

To resolve the contradiction, it’s possible that Google users have switched to other browsers or that Safari searches are down in China, where Google isn’t available.<\/p>\n\n

Previously:<\/p>\n