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Apple is holding back no punches with its AI partnerships for iOS 18 (Update)
- Apple is reportedly considering integrating more generative AI services, including Meta AI, Perplexity, and Anthropic, into iOS 18.
- The company could also be looking into AI services permitted in China, as OpenAI’s ChatGPT is banned there.
- Apple’s new AI features will roll out to compatible iPhones, iPads, and Macs this fall through the upcoming OS updates.
Update, June 25, 2024 (05:35 AM ET): According to a report from Bloomberg, Apple rejected Meta’s offer to integrate its AI chatbot into iPhones months ago. The two companies are not in discussions about using Meta’s Llama chatbot in an AI partnership; the dialogue hasn’t reached any formal stage, and Apple has no active plans to integrate Llama. This was partly because Apple doesn’t see Meta’s privacy practices as stringent enough.
Original article, June 24, 2024 (10:46 AM ET): With iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, Apple is integrating ChatGPT into its latest devices. While the company has developed its own Apple Intelligence features, users will get to rely on OpenAI’s smarts when the first-party ones are insufficient. However, Apple won’t stop there; it’s reportedly considering more AI partnerships with companies like Meta, Perplexity, and Anthropic.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple has been discussing potential AI partnerships with Meta, Perplexity, and Anthropic. Additionally, the firm is trying to find an OpenAI alternative for its China-based users, as ChatGPT is banned there. If any of these potential partnerships materialize, iOS 18 users could have more AI provider options — beyond ChatGPT and Apple’s own model.
This report doesn’t surprise us, as Apple’s latest software vision seemingly revolves around user choice. So, allowing its customers to pick between different AI models aligns with this new direction. That’s not to mention that ChatGPT outages are relatively common, and the company wouldn’t want these instances to impact its users’ workflows.
Apple will roll out its advanced AI features to those testing iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia next month. Once the OS testing phase concludes, the company should release the new operating system versions to the public around September. Notably, the AI features will still be marked as beta after the stable OS launch, as it’ll take Apple some time to optimize them and control their generated output.