Long-Standing Rivals Apple and Meta May Turn Partners for iOS 18 AI Features

Apple-AI
Image Courtesy: Mohit Singh/Beebom
In Short
  • According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple is reportedly in talks about integrating Meta's Generative AI model into Apple Intelligence.
  • If the Apple-Meta alliance is formed, it could glorify Apple's efforts in the AI space.
  • Apple Intelligence is coming later this fall as part of the iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia Betas.

We all are aware that Apple and Meta have been at odds with each other for quite a time now. Recently, the rival tech giants have clashed on privacy changes, app store policy, and much more. Apple’s CEO Tim Cook and Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg have never talked too kindly about each other over the years. Interestingly, this long-standing rivalry might turn into a partnership that raises everyone’s eyebrows.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple is reportedly in talks about integrating Meta’s Generative AI model into Apple Intelligence. Besides Meta, AI startups Perplexity and Anthropic have also been in discussions with Apple about integrating their models into Apple Intelligence.

all apple intelligence AI features coming to iphone, ipad and mac
Image Courtesy: Apple

If the Apple-Meta partnership sees the light, it would be a similar deal that Apple has agreed with ChatGPT, which is right now the only third-party partner for Apple Intelligence. For reference, Apple Intelligence mainly uses on-device processing to answer your queries and safeguard your privacy while you use AI features on Apple devices. If the request has to be transferred to a third-party model, Siri will ask the user for his permission.

For instance, with iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence enabled, you ask Siri to “Plan a two-day trip to London”, Siri will ask you if you would like to send that request to ChatGPT instead. If you give the permission, OpenAI’s ChatGPT model will process your request and you’ll get the response in the Siri view.

The best thing is that ChatGPT won’t collect any user data and will delete any information after requests are processed. Also, Apple won’t pay any company for integrating their AI models into Apple Intelligence. So, this functionality will be available to users for free. Of course, users can choose to sign in with their ChatGPT account to access ChatGPT Plus features.

Apple has already said aloud publicly that ChatGPT won’t be the only option available as they are looking to offer a range of models beyond OpenAI. They want users to choose which external AI model they want to use in addition to Apple’s internal systems. During the announcement, Apple’s software leader Craig Federighi said that Apple “wanted to start with the best”, and OpenAI’s ChatGPT “represents the best choice for our users today”. 

As per the Wall Street Journal’s reporting, it seems Meta AI could eventually be seen partnering with Apple Intelligence. If the Apple-Meta alliance is formed, it could glorify Apple’s efforts in the AI space and represent a rare branch between a social media giant and an iPhone maker.

Apple Intelligence is coming later this fall as part of the iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia Betas. It will be available on iPhone 15 Pro models, the upcoming iPhone 16 series, and iPads and Macs with the M1 or newer chips. At first, Apple Intelligence will be available in US English, and the support for additional languages and regions will be rolled out gradually.

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