diff --git a/sdk/RELEASE.md b/sdk/RELEASE.md
index bda352b19a9..47b6a2da06b 100644
--- a/sdk/RELEASE.md
+++ b/sdk/RELEASE.md
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 
 * v2 compiler to throw no task defined error. [\#6545](https://github.com/kubeflow/pipelines/pull/6545)
 * Improve output parameter type checking in V2 SDK. [\#6566](https://github.com/kubeflow/pipelines/pull/6566)
+* Use `Annotated` rather than `Union` for `Input` and `Output`. [\#6573](https://github.com/kubeflow/pipelines/pull/6573)
 
 ## Documentation Updates
 
diff --git a/sdk/python/kfp/v2/components/types/type_annotations.py b/sdk/python/kfp/v2/components/types/type_annotations.py
index 0ebbea46c2c..b736c4448e9 100644
--- a/sdk/python/kfp/v2/components/types/type_annotations.py
+++ b/sdk/python/kfp/v2/components/types/type_annotations.py
@@ -19,6 +19,11 @@
 import re
 from typing import TypeVar, Union
 
+try:
+    from typing import Annotated
+except ImportError:
+    from typing_extensions import Annotated
+
 T = TypeVar('T')
 
 
@@ -56,37 +61,18 @@ class OutputAnnotation():
     pass
 
 
-# TODO: Use typing.Annotated instead of this hack.
-# With typing.Annotated (Python 3.9+ or typing_extensions package), the
-# following would look like:
-# Input = typing.Annotated[T, InputAnnotation]
-# Output = typing.Annotated[T, OutputAnnotation]
-
 # Input represents an Input artifact of type T.
-Input = Union[T, InputAnnotation]
+Input = Annotated[T, InputAnnotation]
 
 # Output represents an Output artifact of type T.
-Output = Union[T, OutputAnnotation]
+Output = Annotated[T, OutputAnnotation]
 
 
 def is_artifact_annotation(typ) -> bool:
-    if hasattr(typ, '_subs_tree'):  # Python 3.6
-        subs_tree = typ._subs_tree()
-        return len(
-            subs_tree) == 3 and subs_tree[0] == Union and subs_tree[2] in [
-                InputAnnotation, OutputAnnotation
-            ]
-
-    if not hasattr(typ, '__origin__'):
-        return False
-
-    if typ.__origin__ != Union and type(typ.__origin__) != type(Union):
-        return False
-
-    if not hasattr(typ, '__args__') or len(typ.__args__) != 2:
+    if not hasattr(typ, '__metadata__'):
         return False
 
-    if typ.__args__[1] not in [InputAnnotation, OutputAnnotation]:
+    if typ.__metadata__[0] not in [InputAnnotation, OutputAnnotation]:
         return False
 
     return True
@@ -97,11 +83,7 @@ def is_input_artifact(typ) -> bool:
     if not is_artifact_annotation(typ):
         return False
 
-    if hasattr(typ, '_subs_tree'):  # Python 3.6
-        subs_tree = typ._subs_tree()
-        return len(subs_tree) == 3 and subs_tree[2] == InputAnnotation
-
-    return typ.__args__[1] == InputAnnotation
+    return typ.__metadata__[0] == InputAnnotation
 
 
 def is_output_artifact(typ) -> bool:
@@ -109,11 +91,7 @@ def is_output_artifact(typ) -> bool:
     if not is_artifact_annotation(typ):
         return False
 
-    if hasattr(typ, '_subs_tree'):  # Python 3.6
-        subs_tree = typ._subs_tree()
-        return len(subs_tree) == 3 and subs_tree[2] == OutputAnnotation
-
-    return typ.__args__[1] == OutputAnnotation
+    return typ.__metadata__[0] == OutputAnnotation
 
 
 def get_io_artifact_class(typ):
@@ -122,12 +100,6 @@ def get_io_artifact_class(typ):
     if typ == Input or typ == Output:
         return None
 
-    if hasattr(typ, '_subs_tree'):  # Python 3.6
-        subs_tree = typ._subs_tree()
-        if len(subs_tree) != 3:
-            return None
-        return subs_tree[1]
-
     return typ.__args__[0]
 
 
@@ -135,13 +107,7 @@ def get_io_artifact_annotation(typ):
     if not is_artifact_annotation(typ):
         return None
 
-    if hasattr(typ, '_subs_tree'):  # Python 3.6
-        subs_tree = typ._subs_tree()
-        if len(subs_tree) != 3:
-            return None
-        return subs_tree[2]
-
-    return typ.__args__[1]
+    return typ.__metadata__[0]
 
 
 def maybe_strip_optional_from_annotation(annotation: T) -> T:
diff --git a/sdk/python/requirements.in b/sdk/python/requirements.in
index c389eb87aed..bda5ca6be6d 100644
--- a/sdk/python/requirements.in
+++ b/sdk/python/requirements.in
@@ -34,3 +34,4 @@ fire>=0.3.1,<1
 google-api-python-client>=1.7.8,<2
 dataclasses>=0.8,<1; python_version<"3.7"
 pydantic>=1.8.2,<2
+typing-extensions>=3.10.0.2,<4
diff --git a/sdk/python/requirements.txt b/sdk/python/requirements.txt
index 9cd6d620c78..12bb102e4a6 100644
--- a/sdk/python/requirements.txt
+++ b/sdk/python/requirements.txt
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 #
 #    pip-compile requirements.in
 #
-
 absl-py==0.11.0
     # via -r requirements.in
 attrs==20.3.0
@@ -141,8 +140,10 @@ tabulate==0.8.9
     # via -r requirements.in
 termcolor==1.1.0
     # via fire
-typing-extensions==3.10.0.0
-    # via pydantic
+typing-extensions==3.10.0.2
+    # via
+    #   -r requirements.in
+    #   pydantic
 uritemplate==3.0.1
     # via google-api-python-client
 urllib3==1.26.5
diff --git a/sdk/python/setup.py b/sdk/python/setup.py
index fdf1c99dcc9..acdb6f03b86 100644
--- a/sdk/python/setup.py
+++ b/sdk/python/setup.py
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
     'protobuf>=3.13.0,<4',
     # Standard library backports
     'dataclasses;python_version<"3.7"',
+    'typing-extensions>=3.10.0.2,<4;python_version<"3.9"',
     'pydantic>=1.8.2,<2',
 ]