 "Siri on iPhone")
A potential deal between Apple and OpenAI for new artificial intelligence powered features on iPhones, iPads and MacBooks have been reported multiple times recently. However, a 9To5Mac report citing The Information stated that Apple has been conducting tests internally using OpenAI’s GPT model for its virtual assistant Siri since last year. It also mentions that discussions between Apple and Microsoft-backed OpenAI have been going on since mid-2023.
According to the report, Apple employees from the company’s machine learning fraction held discussions with OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman around last year’s Worldwide Developers conference (WWDC) in June. Although not much is known about the discussions that took place, Apple reportedly reached an agreement with Altman for using OpenAI’s Application Programing Interfaces (APIs) for internal testing.
Internally, Apple had integrated Siri using the AI model behind OpenAI’s ChatGPT, creating a new prototype of the virtual assistant capable of handling and processing much more complex queries and understanding the context behind an input more accurately. 9To5Mac reported that there has been evidence of this when it reported that the first beta version of iOS 17.4 contained “a new Siri summarization private framework that makes calls to the OpenAI’s ChatGPT API.”
Apple is likely to make the deal official at the upcoming WWDC 2024, which is scheduled for June 10. Its next-generation operating system for iPhones, iPads and MacBooks are expected to get new AI tools and features, several of which are expected to be powered by OpenAI’s AI models.
While Microsoft, the company that invested 13 billion in OpenAI, would make profits from OpenAI’s deal with Apple, the report states that Microsoft has been concerned about the partnership. OpenAI’s GPT model has also been the one that power’s Microsoft’s Copilot AI features and a deal between Apple and OpenAI will bring the company in direct competition with the Cupertino-based technology giant.
