Apple is once again in talks with OpenAI to use its technology for AI features in iOS 18, according to Bloomberg. The iPhone maker had previously discussed a potential partnership with OpenAI earlier this year, but progress had stalled since then. Now, the two companies are negotiating the terms of a possible agreement and how OpenAI's features would be integrated into iOS 18.
Sources familiar with the matter revealed that Apple is particularly interested in leveraging OpenAI's capabilities to power a chatbot-like feature, similar to the popular ChatGPT. This move comes as Apple continues to explore partnerships with various AI providers, including ongoing discussions with Google about licensing its Gemini chatbot.
While Apple has not made a final decision on which partners it will collaborate with, the company is open to the possibility of reaching agreements with both OpenAI and Google or even selecting another provider entirely. By partnering with third-party providers, Apple could accelerate its entry into the consumer AI space while potentially mitigating some of the associated risks and liabilities.
Apple is also investing heavily in developing its own small language models that can run on-device. These models, while more limited in capability compared to cloud-based solutions like GPT or Gemini, could handle certain tasks directly on the iPhone, ensuring faster response times and enhanced privacy. For more complex requests, Apple's AI system would likely defer to the more powerful cloud-based models provided by its partners.
iOS 18 is rumored to be one of the biggest updates in the iPhone's history, with a strong focus on AI. Apple CEO Tim Cook has confirmed that the company is investing heavily in AI and will share more details about its plans later this year. The new operating system is expected to be unveiled at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in June, with a public release likely in September alongside the iPhone 16 lineup.