Apple & Meta Discuss Potential AI Integration for iOS 18

Apple and Meta, historically at odds over privacy and app store policies may soon join hands on an AI project for iOS 18. There has always remained a longstanding tension between Apple CEO Tim Cook and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, however, the AI boom has prompted talks of a partnership. According to the Wall Street Journal, the partnership would involve integrating Meta AI models into Apple Intelligence, marking a substantial shift in their relationship. This new collaboration aims to improve Apple’s AI capabilities, similar to its current integration with ChatGPT.

Apple and Meta in Talks for AI Collaboration on iOS 18

For all those unaware, Apple Intelligence will debut with iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, leveraging both on-device and cloud models. However, it will allow some user queries to be processed by third-party AI models. For instance, if a user asks Siri for complex culinary advice, Siri can redirect the request to ChatGPT, which processes and returns the response within the Siri interface. This system aims to provide user data privacy, as ChatGPT cannot collect user data and has to delete information post-processing.

Currently, OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4o supports these features for free, with optional ChatGPT Plus access. Silicon giant’s plan to diversify its AI offerings means Meta AI can soon join the mix. According to sources, talks with other AI developers like Google Gemini, Perplexity, and Anthropic are also underway.

Apple Intelligence, the much-anticipated suite of AI functionalities, will be available later this year. The AI suite will be initially in beta and come with particular hardware requirements. However, there’s a catch. You’ll need an iPhone 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max to run Apple AI. Unfortunately, the iPhone 15 2023 and iPhone 15 Plus do not meet the required specifications for this advanced AI. Apple Intelligence will first support US English on the iPhone 15 Pro, and iPad and Mac models with M1 chips or newer. Additional languages and regions will be added over time, extending the functionality and user experience of Apple’s latest operating systems.

The upcoming collaboration between Meta and Apple marks a significant shift in the tech landscape, underscoring the growing importance of AI and the possibility of unanticipated collaborations to drive technological advancements.