Apple is expected to offer new AI features in iOS 18 and its other operating systems as an opt-in service, as a way of allowing users wary of the technology to steer clear of it, reports Bloomberg.
Apple has been working on a deal with OpenAI to integrate its ChatGPT technology into iOS 18, and has come to an agreement to integrate its ChatGPT technology into iPhones and other Apple devices.
That partnership is expected to be announced next week at WWDC. However, the decision to green-light the deal reportedly did not come easily. Executives are said to have had concerns about reputational damage from a "rogue chatbot," while some people within Apple are even said to have a "philosophical aversion" to having a chatbot integrated into Apple software, according to today's report.
Ultimately, however, Apple believed that consumers would expect the cutting-edge technology to be offered by the company. By outsourcing the chatbot function, Apple also believes it can distance itself from any potentially controversial repercussions, and by providing AI features as an opt-in service, consumers will be given the choice of whether to use it or not.
Apple is also in talks with Google about incorporating Gemini into its operating systems. Apple is negotiating the deals on a case-by-case basis, and may ultimately offer a number of third-party chatbots across its operating systems, according to today's report, citing people familiar with the matter.
Apple reportedly began considering a partnership with another company to deliver advanced AI features after it hit a wall in its own artificial intelligence research and development. Apple is known to have been working on its own large language model (LLM), the algorithm that underpins generative AI, and found that its model could power basic features like voice memo transcriptions, photo editing, new Safari search capabilities, and auto-replies for Mail and Messages. However, Apple is said to have realized "early on" that competitors like Google and OpenAI were "far ahead in chatbots and on-the-fly assistance."
In iOS 18, Apple's LLM work will likely be limited to new Siri features, with the virtual assistant expected to be able to control all individual features in apps for the first time. These features are expected to work on-device, with more advanced AI capabilities relying on cloud servers. This may be where OpenAI's technology is more likely to come in. Regardless, Apple is believed to see the OpenAI agreement as a stop-gap measure while it continues to work on its own generative AI technology.
Today's report also claims that Apple is looking beyond chatbots in its AI research, and intends to use LLMs to help power a pair of robotic devices that it is secretly developing. These are said to include the previously rumored table-top robotic arm with an iPad-like display, as well as a mobile robot that can follow users around and handle chores on their behalf. Apple reportedly also plans to integrate cameras and AI features into future AirPods.
