- Apple decided not to integrate Meta’s AI into iOS 18 due to privacy-related concerns
- Calling is no longer a priority: these are the most frequent features on iPhone
- Apple and Meta would be the powerful new partners of generative artificial intelligence
Apple and Meta, two historic rivals, have begun talks about the possible integration of Meta’s generative artificial intelligence model into Apple Intelligence, according to sources familiar with the negotiations, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Sunday.
These dialogues show a collaboration that until now was thought unlikely between two tech giants that have been at odds in multiple areas for years. The motivation behind these conversations lies in Apple’s need to catch up in the field of generative artificial intelligence.
While Apple has developed its own smaller AI models, the company has recognized the need to collaborate with partners for more complex tasks. According to Craig Federighi, Apple’s software lead, “we wanted to start with the best,” referring to OpenAI’s initial partnership with ChatGPT, announced at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this month.
Meta’s interest in this potential collaboration stems from its desire to tap into Apple’s vast distribution of devices, similar to how the App Store allows multiple developers to reach millions of iPhone users. Such partnerships would offer Meta a significant advantage in the race to dominate generative AI.
Mark Zuckerberg and his AI team could score a big win with a deal of this magnitude, considering the major changes they’ve already made with their Llama language model.
In addition to Meta and OpenAI, talks have also been held with artificial intelligence startups such as Anthropic and Perplexity. These companies are interested in integrating their technologies into Apple Intelligence.
Federighi noted that offering various AI model options is beneficial for users, as they “will prefer different models for different tasks, such as creative writing or medical research,” the WSJ quoted it as saying.
While a deal with Apple would represent a massive distribution of products for AI companies, the exact financial impact that would have remains unclear. According to Gene Munster, a veteran analyst at Apple, OpenAI expects the use of ChatGPT to double when it integrates with Apple, although this will also increase infrastructure costs by 30% to 40%.
Munster suggests that between 10% and 20% of Apple users would choose to pay for a premium subscription to a product like ChatGPT. “Getting distribution is hard,” Munster said. “The beauty of what Apple has built is that you have this engaged distribution on a large scale.”
In a nutshell, according to Munster, a collaboration between Meta and Apple could translate into billions of dollars for AI companies that successfully integrate with Apple’s new platform.
The potential collaboration between Apple and Meta also marks a turning point in their relationship. Tensions between the two companies have persisted for more than a decade, notably when Apple introduced privacy changes in 2021 that Meta said would cost it $10 billion in revenue in 2022.
In addition, in April of this year, Meta published instructions for advertisers to dodge the 30% charge that Apple imposes for “sponsored posts”.
With potential deals with different AI companies, Apple avoids over-reliance on a single vendor like OpenAI. However, the ability to do so will depend on the specific terms of each deal, which differs from the App Store’s established structure that allows developers to submit apps for approval.
For users, the flexibility to choose between different AI models could represent a significant advantage. The diversity of options would allow them to select the best tool for specific tasks, strengthening Apple’s ecosystem with various artificial intelligence capabilities.
Comments