Eddy Cue’s statement rattles markets
When Apple’s Eddy Cue testified in April that Safari search volume had dropped — and pinned the blame on AI tools like ChatGPT — it didn’t go unnoticed. Investors reacted fast, and Google’s stock briefly took a hit. The idea that users are skipping search engines entirely in favor of direct AI answers suddenly felt very real.
Google pushes back
A spokesperson for Google responded days later, saying overall search activity — including on iPhones — is still rising. No specific numbers, no Safari breakdown, but a clear message: search isn’t in decline, and the shift toward voice or visual queries is part of that story.
What the company didn’t say is just as interesting. Safari was left out of the statement, which has led some analysts to wonder if Apple’s browser really is seeing a dip — while the Google app and Chrome pick up the slack.
High stakes and legal context
The exchange comes in the middle of an antitrust case that could reshape how search partnerships work. Apple and Google have a long-running deal worth billions — Apple makes Google the default engine on Safari, and gets a share of the revenue in return. Some estimate Apple earned $20 billion from it in 2022 alone.
So when Apple hints that Google’s grip on search might be slipping, it’s hard not to read it as more than just a passing comment. The less dominant Google looks, the easier it may be for Apple to defend the deal in court.
Meanwhile, AI is changing the script
Google is rolling out its Gemini search engine and injecting AI answers directly into results. Apple, for its part, hasn’t launched a search engine but is reportedly developing its own AI assistant tools. And while neither side says it openly, they both know: search as we know it is evolving — and the next battle might not be about browsers at all.
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