Why has Apple never considered creating its own search engine?

Artificial intelligence has experienced a brutal leap in the last two years. These movements made Apple get to work to provide its products and software with functions that exploit AI and it was even suggested that Cupertino could be creating its own search engine like Google. However, the $20 billion agreement that Google paid Apple in 2022 to be the default search engine in Safari It may be one of the reasons why Apple has never thought of designing its own search engine. However, leaving aside speculation, Eddy Cue, senior vice president of Apple Services, has explained why Apple does not spend time creating its own search engine. We tell you below.

Eddy Cue and the 3 reasons why Apple doesn’t have a search engine

The agreement that Google and Apple have to make Google the default search engine in Safari is very important for both companies. It is likely to fade somewhat in the coming years, especially due to growing antitrust pressure from the United States and the European Union. Furthermore, we must not forget that This billion-dollar agreement between both companies is being studied by the US Department of Justice. Especially in relation to Google’s dominance in the search industry and, on the other hand, Apple’s lucrative deal.

In a recent judicial file leaked by ReutersEddy Cue, current senior vice president of Apple Services, explained before the Court of Justice in one of these antitrust cases why Apple has never created its own search engine or, as he says, “enter the search text ads market,” or what would be the same as starting to compete against the clear dominance of Google.

Cue focused on three basic reasons:

• The first and most logical was centered on the artificial intelligence. The rise of AI could facilitate the creation of services that improve searches and Apple sees it as risky to dedicate the enormous resources that a new search engine would require.
• On the other hand, there are the Apple’s growth areas. That is, which market sectors are the main ones for Apple and among those is not the search engine since it would mean diverting capital investment and employees, who would stop being in one project to focus on another. In Cue’s words, a search engine would cost billions of dollars and would take many years.
• Finally, Cue claimed that a viable search engine would require create a platform to sell advertising and, he assures, it is not one of Apple’s priority elements or a main activity of the company.

All this news happens in an atmosphere of tension where Apple has requested to have a voice in the trial against Google since they see their position in the billion-dollar agreement with Google in jeopardy or even ensuring that the proposed regulatory changes do not harm their current business model.