The European Union has stepped up its efforts to reshape the artificial intelligence landscape by directing technology giants Google and Apple to make significant changes to their mobile platforms, a move aimed at giving rival AI developers equal opportunities to compete in the rapidly expanding market for AI assistants.
The latest regulatory action comes under the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which seeks to curb the dominance of major technology companies by ensuring fair competition and greater consumer choice. European regulators believe that users should not be restricted to default AI assistants such as Google’s Gemini or Apple’s Siri, but should be able to seamlessly use competing AI services on smartphones and other devices.
Under the new requirements, Google has been instructed to provide competing AI assistants with broader access to Android’s key system features by July 2027. This would allow third-party AI tools to perform tasks similar to Gemini, including responding to voice commands, managing applications, making reservations, and interacting more deeply with the operating system. Regulators argue that such interoperability is necessary to foster innovation and prevent dominant platforms from favouring their own services over those developed by rivals.
In addition to opening Android to rival AI assistants, Google has also been asked to share certain anonymised search-related data with eligible competitors. European authorities maintain that such access would enable smaller companies to develop more capable search engines and AI models while promoting a healthier competitive environment. However, the Commission has clarified that companies seeking access will still have to meet strict cybersecurity and privacy standards before any data sharing takes place.
Google has voiced concerns over the measures, arguing that expanding access to its systems could expose users to greater security risks and compromise privacy. The company has also cautioned that sharing valuable search data may affect the quality of its products and reduce incentives for continued investment in innovation. Nevertheless, the European Commission has maintained that the safeguards built into the framework are sufficient to protect users while encouraging fair competition across the AI ecosystem.
Apple, meanwhile, finds itself at the centre of a similar dispute over its next-generation Siri. The company has delayed the rollout of its upgraded AI-powered assistant in the European Union, arguing that complying with the DMA’s interoperability requirements raises significant privacy and security challenges. Apple has maintained that allowing rival services broader access to its ecosystem could undermine the tightly integrated protections that have long been a hallmark of its devices.
European regulators have rejected Apple’s position, insisting that no company is exempt from the Digital Markets Act. They argue that compliance with competition rules is essential regardless of the technology involved and that consumers should benefit from greater flexibility in choosing AI assistants. The disagreement has intensified tensions between Brussels and major American technology companies, with Apple continuing discussions with EU officials over how its AI features can eventually be introduced in the region.
The regulatory push comes at a crucial time in the global AI race, where companies including Google, Apple, OpenAI and others are competing to make AI assistants central to the smartphone experience. By ensuring that users can choose among multiple AI services rather than being locked into a single ecosystem, the European Union hopes to stimulate innovation, encourage competition and reduce the market power of dominant technology firms.
Industry observers believe the EU’s latest intervention could significantly influence how AI assistants evolve worldwide. While technology companies warn that stricter regulations could slow product development and complicate software design, regulators argue that open competition ultimately benefits consumers by encouraging better products, greater innovation and wider choice. The outcome of the ongoing standoff between the European Union and the world’s biggest technology companies is likely to shape the future of AI-powered mobile platforms for years to come.
