Apple’s private AI will run on Google servers

Apple today announced that it is expanding Private Cloud Compute (PCC) beyond its data centers, partnering with Google and NVIDIA to run Apple Intelligence workloads on Google Cloud.

Private Cloud Compute is Apple’s cloud intelligence system for private AI processing, used to secure ‌Apple Intelligence‌ requests when processing in the cloud. PCC has been limited to Apple Silicon servers in Apple data centers, but Apple now relies on Google servers to handle some ‌Apple Intelligence‌ processing.

Apple has partnered with Google to use the technologies behind Google’s Gemini AI models for its own Apple Foundation models. Although some processing is done on-device, the use of agent tools and complex reasoning requires processing in the cloud. Apple says it has worked with Google and NVIDIA to extend its PCC infrastructure to Google Cloud systems that run NVIDIA GPUs without compromising privacy and security protections.

Our core PCC requirements remain exactly the same: stateless computing, enforceable guarantees, no privileged execution access, non-targeting, and verifiable transparency. What’s new about PCC on Google Cloud is the implementation: NVIDIA Confidential Computing with NVIDIA GPU, Intel processors with TDX and Google Titan chip.

All server components and software are part of a trusted computing foundation subject to guarantees of verifiable transparency and unprivileged access, and Apple has a cryptographically verifiable ledger of all Google Cloud hardware that is part of the PCC fleet to mitigate the risk of supply chain attacks. PCC on Google Cloud also uses many of the same architectural security models as PCC on Apple silicon.

Apple says efforts to integrate PCC with Google Cloud will mean that user data will continue to be protected by PCC’s security and privacy properties, even outside of Apple hardware and data centers. Apple retains control of the PCC software and Apple devices will only trust PCC software cryptographically approved by Apple.

PCC on Google Cloud is not fully implemented and Apple plans to gradually add the full set of protections throughout the beta testing process.

PCC binaries on Google Cloud will be available for public inspection. Apple plans to provide public search tools and access to live PCC nodes in search mode through its Apple Security Bounty program.