Apple may launch its own search engine and take Google head-on, according to reports.
Several indications suggest that the US based iPhone maker is working on the search engine. These indications include job listings by Apple for AI (artificial intelligence) experts and search engineers along with regulatory concerns of Google and its anti-competitive nature.
Google has been paying millions of dollars to Apple to remain as the default search engine on Safari (Apple’s graphical web browser) for iOS, iPad, and macOS barring entry for competitors like Bing, Yahoo and many more.
Official information from UK government Competition and Market Authority says that it is nearly $1.5 billion that Google pays every year to maintain its monopoly.
The problem with this deal is that when the users of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac use Safari browser they, by default, search with Google. Keeping in mind that Google is just one among the other search engine options for Safari users, such a deal is creating a barrier in the expansion of its fellow competitors.
The UK Competition and Market Authority considers this deal as anti-competitive and sets off regulatory concerns. The reports suggest that the regulators may ask Apple and Google to abandon this deal and allow the users to choose the search engine they want to use when they first set up Safari.
Apple is likely to take up this opportunity. Being the most valued company in the world, having its own search engine would only add to Apple’s popularity.
Recently Apple has invited experts for a residency program to create Machine Language (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) empowered products and experiences.
Speculations are rampant that Apple is strengthening this ML and AI to provide search results based on their email, message, maps, events, reminders, files, contacts, third-party apps, documents and more.
If Apple comes with its own search engine it is likely to serve a different function than displaying advertising and data mining. The reports speculate that the new search engine from Apple would possibly act as a highly customized data center.
It’ll be a lot like Google Assistant on Android but it won’t have advertisements and will be fully private with considerably deeper integrations with the Operating System.
