Apple has signed an agreement with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT functionality to iPhones running iOS 18. The Cupertino company is reportedly in talks with Google and Sam Altman’s OpenAI to integrate the chatbot into iOS 18. OpenAI, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in his weekly PowerOn newsletter.
The partnership will be part of the WWDC announcement, he said. For those who don’t know, Apple is holding its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) from June 10 to 14 this year.
“On the one hand, Apple admits that it cannot compete in the hot field of artificial intelligence. But the deal with OpenAI gives it a much more advanced chatbot – and a potential advantage as Samsung’s devices use Gemini,” adds Gurman.
In the newsletter, Gurman says Apple can’t rely on OpenAI as a full-service provider for one of iOS’s most important new features. The OpenAI deal carries “risks” as OpenAI becomes increasingly controversial in the world of artificial intelligence, it said last week.
OpenAi’s corporate structure is shaky: its CEO was briefly fired last year, leading to a crisis for employees and its main backer, Microsoft.
That’s why Apple is still trying to strike a deal with Google to offer Gemini as an option, Gurman said. But don’t expect it to come out in June, he says.
“If Apple is willing to welcome other chatbot manufacturers, it will be considered on a case-by-case basis. While the company often opens up features to all third-party developers, you can be expected to be fair and take unique measures here,” he says.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.