Stocks Slide As Apple Exec Admits Efforts To Replace Google For AI Search

Apple Senior Vice President of Services Eddy Cue testified that the company is „actively exploring” a redesign of its Safari browser to prioritize AI-powered search engines, amid potential fallout from its deal with Google, according to Bloomberg.

Cue disclosed Wednesday while testifying in the U.S. Justice Department’s antitrust lawsuit against Alphabet. The case centers on Apple and Google’s estimated $20 billion-a-year agreement that designates Google as the default search engine in Apple’s Safari browser.

Cue revealed that Safari search volumes declined for the first time in April, prompting the company to evaluate alternatives. He specifically mentioned Perplexity and Anthropic as potential options.

Here are the latest headlines:

• APPLE’S CUE: LOST SLEEP OVER POSSIBILITY OF LOSING REV. SHARE

• APPLE’S CUE: BELIEVES PERPLEXITY, ANTHROPIC COULD BE OPTIONS

• APPLE LOOKED AT ANTHROPIC, DEEPSEEK, GROK, PERPLEXITY FOR AI

This news sent Google shares sinking as much as 5%.

Apple shares fell to a session low of 1.7%.

Sliding Apple and Google price action sent US main equity futures lower.

*Developing…