Apple has once again spoken with OpenAI about using the company's technology to power several new features coming to the iPhone later this year, the people said.
The companies have begun discussions about the terms of the agreement and how to integrate OpenAI capabilities into Apple's next iPhone operating system, iOS 18, said the people, who requested anonymity because the discussions are private. .
The move marks a resumption of dialogue between the two companies. Apple had discussed a deal with OpenAI earlier this year, but work between the parties has been minimal since then. Apple is also in talks with Alphabet Inc.'s Google about licensing its Gemini chatbot.
Apple has not made a final decision on which partner to use, and there is no guarantee that a deal will be reached. It's possible the company ultimately reaches agreements with both OpenAI and Google, or chooses a different provider entirely. Representatives for Apple, OpenAI and Google declined to comment.
The next iPhone operating system is expected to include several new features based on Apple's internal large-scale language model (AI software that can generate human-sounding text), but the company expects to have a chat system similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT. The company is also looking for partners to power features like bots. Bloomberg first reported on the discussions, which also included AI startup Anthropic, in March.
The latest development comes about a month and a half before Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, where it plans to announce new AI software and services. The company plans to tout its features as being more seamlessly integrated into devices and offering better privacy protections than competing AI products.
Cook said last year that he personally uses OpenAI's ChatGPT, but said there are “a lot of issues that need to be worked out.” He promised that new AI capabilities will be introduced to Apple's platforms on a “very thoughtful basis.”
Relying on partners could help accelerate Apple's chatbot efforts and avoid some risks. By outsourcing its generative AI capabilities to another company, Cook could potentially reduce its liability for its own platform.
