Apple and Meta reportedly discuss AI partnership for iOS 18

The Wall Street Journal reports that this collaboration would involve integrating Meta's AI models into Apple's upcoming Apple Intelligence feature.

Historically, Apple and Meta have had a contentious relationship, clashing over privacy policies, app store regulations, and other issues. CEOs Tim Cook and Mark Zuckerberg have publicly criticized each other multiple times. However, the rapid growth of AI technology appears to be fostering unexpected partnerships.

Apple's Apple Intelligence, set to debut with iOS 18, currently utilizes both Apple's own models and a third-party integration with OpenAI's ChatGPT. For example, if a user asks Siri a complex question like “how to create a five-course meal featuring different tastes,” Siri can transfer the request to ChatGPT with user permission. ChatGPT processes the query and provides an answer directly within the Siri interface.

The potential deal with Meta would see similar integration, allowing Meta AI to handle specific user requests. Under the terms of these integrations, third-party AIs, including ChatGPT, are not permitted to collect user data and must delete information after processing.

Apple has publicly stated its intention to incorporate a variety of AI models into its system, with ongoing talks involving Google Gemini, Perplexity, Anthropic, and others. This diversification aims to enhance the capabilities of Apple Intelligence, providing users with more comprehensive AI support.

Apple Intelligence will be released later this year as part of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia updates. Initially, it will be available in US English for iPhone 15 Pro, iPad, and Mac models with the M1 chip or later, with additional languages and regions to follow gradually.