Apple is again in talks with OpenAI about using the company’s technology to enable 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 OpenAI features will be integrated into the next iPhone operating system, iOS 18, the people said on condition of anonymity.
This move marks the resumption of talks between the two companies. Apple discussed a deal with OpenAI earlier this year, but cooperation between the parties has been minimal since then. Apple is also in talks with Google’s Alphabet about licensing its Gemini chatbot.
Apple has not yet made a final decision on which partner to use, and there is no guarantee that an agreement will be reached. It’s possible that the company will eventually settle with OpenAI and Google or choose another provider entirely. Representatives from 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 (artificial intelligence software that can generate text using a human voice).
However, the company also expects a chat system similar to OpenAI’s ChatGPT for partners to power features such as bots. Bloomberg first reported on the discussions in March, which also involved the artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.
The latest development comes about a month and a half ahead of Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, where Apple plans to launch new AI software and services. The company wants to tout that its features integrate more seamlessly into devices and provide better privacy protection than competing AI products.
Cook said last year that he personally uses OpenAI’s ChatGPT, but said that “there are a lot of issues that need to be solved.” He promised that new AI features would be introduced to Apple’s platforms in a “very thoughtful way.”
Relying on partners can accelerate Apple’s chatbot efforts and avoid some risks. By outsourcing its production AI capabilities to another company, Cook could potentially reduce its liability for its platform.