Why has Apple never considered creating its own search engine?

Artificial intelligence has seen a sudden jump in the last two years. These moves have pushed Apple to work on equipping its products and software with features that leverage AI and it has even been suggested that Cupertino could create its own search engine like Google. However, the $20 billion deal Google paid Apple in 2022 to be the default search engine in Safari This may be one of the reasons why Apple never thought about designing its own search engine. However, leaving speculation aside, Eddie Cue, senior vice president of Apple Services, explained why Apple isn't spending time building 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 should make Google the default search engine in Safari is very important for both companies. It is likely to fade somewhat in the coming years, particularly due to increasing antitrust pressure from the United States and the European Union. Furthermore, we must not forget that This billion-dollar deal between the two companies is being investigated by the US Department of Justice. Especially when it comes to Google's dominance in the search sector and, on the other hand, Apple's lucrative deal.

In a recent court filing disclosed by Reuters, Eddy Cue, current senior vice president of Apple Services, explained himself to the Court of Justice in one of these antitrust cases why Apple never created its own search engine or, as he puts it, “entering the search text ad market,” or what would mean starting to compete with Google’s clear dominance.

Index focused on three fundamental reasons:

• The first and most logical was centered on artificial intelligence. The rise of AI could make it easier to create services that improve searches, and Apple considers it risky to devote the enormous resources that a new search engine would require.
• On the other hand, there are Apple's growth areas. That is, which market sectors are the main ones for Apple and among these there is not the search engine because this would mean diverting capital investments and employees, which would cease to be in a 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 nor a main activity of the company.

All this news takes place in an atmosphere of tension where Apple asked to have a voice in the lawsuit against Google as they see their position in the billion-dollar deal with Google threatened or even ensure that the proposed regulatory changes do not harm their current business model.