Apple has reportedly signed a deal with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT to iOS 18. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Cupertino will unveil this plan during WWDC 2024 next week as the company tackles AI after almost two years of delay.
The journalist reports that Apple is expected to offer its new AI features as an “opt-in service,” as customers could easily “steer clear of them if they’d prefer.” At this moment, it’s unclear how big of an integration Apple and OpenAI could offer between iOS 18 and ChatGPT.
While Apple has still been talking with Google about a potential Gemini partnership, Gurman explains that going with Google first would make Cupertino feel like it has lost the AI battle. In addition, Apple believes ChatGPT offers the best AI experience in the market.
That said, Cupertino is treating this partnership as a “stopgap measure,” as the company will eventually bring this outside technology in-house, as it did by ditching Intel and launching its own silicon.
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Ultimately, chatbots are just a tiny part of Apple’s plans. Bloomberg reports that it wants to use large language models to help power “a pair of robotic devices that it is secretly developing.” These would include a tablet-top robotic arm with a large, iPad-like display, a mobile robot that can follow users around and handle chores on their behalf, and even AirPods with cameras and AI features.
For Siri, Apple could ultimately transform it into the smart personal assistant Steve Jobs dreamed about.
Thankfully, it won’t take long until we learn more about the future AI features with iOS 18, including ChatGPT integration. That said, keep in mind that it’s possible that many of these features might not launch alongside the first version of this system in September, but most likely with upcoming versions of iOS 18.