Apple and Meta: Exploring a Potential AI Partnership

As Apple embarks on its journey into the AI landscape, it is actively seeking partnerships to enhance its capabilities. In an announcement earlier this month regarding Apple Intelligence, the tech giant revealed a collaboration with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into an upgraded version of Siri. Following this, the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple is in discussions with Meta, the parent company of Facebook, to establish a similar partnership.

These negotiations are still in progress and may not be finalized. Meta has chosen not to comment on the situation, while Apple has yet to respond.

As pointed out by Sarah Perez, Apple's current approach to AI appears practical and somewhat unexciting. Rather than pursuing a radical transformation, Apple is focusing on incorporating AI-powered features, such as writing suggestions and customized emojis, into its existing products. This emphasis on practicality might serve as a strong foundation for AI adoption. Additionally, leveraging partnerships could allow Apple to extend beyond the limitations of its own AI models.

A partnership with Meta could reduce Apple's reliance on a single vendor while also validating Meta's generative AI technology. According to the WSJ, Apple is not offering direct payment for these partnerships; instead, it’s providing distribution channels to AI partners, enabling them to sell premium subscription services.

While Elon Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI, has expressed concerns about deep integration of ChatGPT within Apple's operating systems—threatening to ban Apple devices from his companies—Apple has assured users that it will seek permission before sharing any inquiries or data with ChatGPT. It's likely that any collaboration with Meta will adhere to the same privacy standards.

In another notable update, Apple announced that the upcoming Apple Intelligence features will debut in the latest iterations of its operating systems (including iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia) later this year. However, Apple will withhold these advancements from the European Union due to the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which aims to foster competition within digital markets. Additionally, features like iPhone Mirroring and SharePlay Screen Sharing will also be postponed.

Apple stated, “We are concerned that the interoperability requirements of the DMA could compromise the integrity of our products and jeopardize user privacy and data security.”