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To enhance its AI capabilities, Apple is reportedly in talks with Meta and other AI startups to bring new intelligence features to iPhones.
As the iPhone maker leaps into the AI race, it is in talks to learn from partners, the big tech firms, which are also rival competitors in some aspects.
The Wall Street Journal reported on June 23 that there is scope for Facebook and Instagram parent company, Meta, to integrate its generative AI model into Apple’s new Intelligence AI system for iPhones.
Having recently announced during WWDC 2024 that it would be working with OpenAI to introduce ChatGPT to Siri, Meta is in the pipeline with a similar arrangement. However, negotiations are not finalized or agreed upon, and the outcome is still pending.
Neither company has responded publicly to the talks at the time of writing.
Apple has also been mooted to enter into dialogue with other AI companies in different territories, such as China, where Microsoft-aligned OpenAI chatbot ChatGPT is prohibited.
Discussions with other AI startups
The WSJ also indicated that Anthropic had been approached by Apple for possible involvement with its Intelligence system for iPhones. The approach to the AI startup shows the scale and scope of the outreach to several players in the tech space.
Anthropic would look for a significant financial benefit from the link-up with Apple, but the possible rewards still need to be determined. Any agreements could involve the AI providers selling subscriptions via Apple Intelligence, with AI search firm Perplexity being another potential partner to have talks with.
All of this feeds into Apple’s AI strategy, unveiled recently with Intelligence at its core. As mentioned above, the technology is set to be implemented across various apps, including Siri, with room for external support from ChatGPT and others.
Apple wants to differentiate itself from Microsoft and Google, with its AI offering prioritizing privacy.
Apple’s senior VP of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, stated that “we wanted to start with the best” adding that ChatGPT “represents the best choice for our users today” while also revealing an intention to bring Google’s Gemini on board.
