Apple is reportedly on the brink of finalizing its deal with OpenAI that would see the latter power some AI features as part of iOS 18 and other software platforms, reports Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman.
Per the report, OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology would power some AI features on iOS 18. With the agreement, Apple also plans to offer a chatbot as part of its upcoming iPhone update, though it remains unclear if the chatbot will be part of Siri or an entirely separate service. The report further notes that Apple is still in talks with Google to license its Gemini chatbot. However, the Apple-Google negotiations seem to be behind that of OpenAI.
Today’s report comes after a recent article from Bloomberg that described the talks between Apple and OpenAI as “intensive.” Now, it seems both companies are closer than ever to reaching a deal just in time for WWDC 2024, which is exactly one month away.
Apple is taking a hybrid approach for its iOS 18 AI features, as the company is preparing a mixture of in-house and third-party vendors for its AI infrastructure. While most AI features on iOS 18 will run locally on iPhones and iPads, Apple is also deploying its high-end Apple silicon chips across its data center servers to power more powerful AI features that require cloud processing.
Look out for AI-powered features spanning Siri, Messages, Spotlight Search, Safari, Apple Music, Xcode, and more. iOS 18 is also said to introduce considerable UI design changes across the board, with these changes said to make the update one of the biggest in iPhone’s history.
WWDC 2024 kicks off on Monday, June 10 when iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15, watchOS 11, and visionOS 2 are expected to be announced. Beta testing for all the new updates will last throughout the summer until they’re released to the public in the fall and later in the year.
