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Tim Cook and Sundar Pichai in a photo from 2017

A picture, featuring Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai dining together, has sparked widespread buzz on social media. The grainy photo, initially believed to be a recent occurrence, has sparked numerous reactions and memes.

Users on X, formerly Twitter, speculated on the nature of the meeting, with some suggesting potential collaborations between the two tech giants. However, it later emerged that the photo was from a  2017 encounter at a Vietnamese restaurant in Palo Alto.

“What do you think Sundar Pichai and Tim Cook are Cooking for us?” a user wrote on X.

What do you think Sundar Pichai and Tim Cook are Cooking for us? pic.twitter.com/wBojjeaATi

— iArgue (@x_ai_a12) March 18, 2024

“Let them cook,” replied another user. 

Let them cook

— Bilawal Sidhu (@bilawalsidhu) March 19, 2024

Someone wrote, “This will be the biggest win-win in the business history. Google will emerge as the likely winner for the GenAI market and Apple will be the primary platform for GenAI access. Can you imagine how capable Macs that are powered with AI will be?”

This will be the biggest win-win in the business history.

Google will emerge as the likely winner for the GenAI market and Apple will be primary platform for GenAI access.

Can you imagine how capable Macs that are powered with AI will be?

— Oguz O. | ???? Capitalist ???? (@thexcapitalist) March 18, 2024

A person came up with some clever puns, stating, “They are cooking something !! Or they PICHing something to COOK.”

They cooking something !!

Or they PICHing something to COOK

( Ik it’s a really bad joke )

— Mr. K (@Mr_K_here) March 18, 2024

“Probably the Google AI going into iPhone discussions,” someone guessed. 

Probably the Google AI going into iPhone discussions.

— Conquests of the Impossible (@Conquestsbook) March 19, 2024

A user chimed in, “Two old guys trying to stay relevant by figuring out this new fangled AI thing.”

Two old guys trying to stay relevant by figuring out this new fangled AI thing.

— fgdhew (@Daniel50007832) March 18, 2024

Meanwhile, someone clarified, “That is an old picture. This was a picture of them eating in Palo Alto a few years ago at this Vietnamese fusion restaurant.”

That is an old picture. This was a picture of them eating in Palo Alto a few years ago at this Vietnamese fusion restaurant

— Tommy Mustache ❤️❤️❤️ (@MustacheTommy) March 18, 2024

The buzz started after Bloomberg reported that Apple is in advanced negotiations with Google to integrate its Gemini AI models into the iPhone. This potential collaboration aims to improve Apple’s AI capabilities, which have been said to lag behind rivals.

Following the news, Google’s stock price surged by over 6%, while Apple’s saw a rise of up to 2.5%. According to Bloomberg, Apple aims to incorporate Google’s AI technology into its next iOS operating system release, expected later this year. 

This potential collaboration comes amidst an existing search engine partnership between Apple and Google, which has recently come under scrutiny from the US Department of Justice for alleged antitrust violations. Apple has also reportedly explored partnerships with OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, for generative AI initiatives. 

While Apple CEO Tim Cook has promised significant AI updates, some observers question the company’s decision to collaborate with external partners for AI advancements. Analysts speculate that a deal with Google could strengthen its position in mobile device AI. The outcome of these negotiations could shape the future of AI technology in the tech industry.