A surprising development sees tech giants Apple and Meta discussing a potential partnership for AI development.
Apple is reportedly seeking to add Meta’s generative AI model to Apple Intelligence, though no negotiations have been finalized yet. As of now, neither company has made an official statement.
This follows an announcement from Apple stating its plans to integrate ChatGPT into Siri.
According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, the company has also been in touch with several other AI startups, including Anthropic and Perplexity, in the hopes of adopting their technology.
Should it find other partners besides OpenAI, Apple claims that users will be able to choose which AI models to use on their phones in addition to Apple's own systems.
So far the company’s approach has mostly involved integrating AI into existing products, like image generation and word processing, rather than radical reinventions.
Establishing strategic partnerships could potentially lead to experimentation and growth in this sector, enhancing the company’s AI capabilities beyond its internal models.
Apple’s AI Rollout Involves ChatGPT Integration
Future Apple and Microsoft devices are set to ship with ChatGPT functionality. An Apple-Meta deal would extend the trend of AI integration across major tech companies.
Apple and its AI partners haven’t pursued direct financial transactions with each other. Instead, AI companies have considered selling premium subscriptions through Apple Intelligence.
Elon Musk, with his competitor startup xAI, previously expressed worries about the deep integration of ChatGPT with Apple’s systems, even going so far as threatening to ban Apple devices from his companies.
Addressing privacy concerns, Apple has stated that it will ask for user permission before sharing any data or questions with ChatGPT. A similar protocol is expected for any integration with Meta.
Due to the EU’s Digital Markets Act, Apple plans to withhold Apple Intelligence, iPhone Mirroring, and SharePlay Screen Sharing from the bloc, citing concerns about compromising product integrity, user privacy, and data security.
Apple Intelligence will be included in the newest versions of Apple’s operating systems (iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia) later in 2024.