Apple Halts AI Partnership Talks with Meta Over Privacy Concerns

Apple and Meta, two tech giants, were rumored to be exploring a potential AI partnership centered around Llama earlier this year. However, recent reports suggest that these discussions have not progressed further. According to sources familiar with the matter cited by Bloomberg, Apple has decided against moving forward with the integration due to concerns over Meta’s privacy practices. The initial talks in March regarding the integration of Llama AI chatbot into the iPhone did not advance to a formal stage. As of now, Apple has no active plans for such a collaboration. While both Apple and Meta have refrained from commenting on the situation, it is clear that Apple is exploring other avenues in the AI space. Recently, Apple announced an agreement related to ChatGPT and hinted at the potential introduction of Gemini in the future. Additionally, the company is reportedly in talks with AI startup Anthropic to incorporate its chatbot technology. The Monday Bloomberg report highlighted that Apple engaged in brief discussions with Meta around the same time it was finalizing deals with OpenAI and Alphabet. Although Apple has since confirmed agreements with OpenAI and expressed intentions to offer Alphabet’s Gemini, there is no ongoing dialogue with Meta regarding the Llama AI integration. Apple’s choice to halt discussions with Meta is primary because of concerns over Meta’s privacy practices, which it deems not stringent enough. Apple has spent years criticizing Meta’s technology, and integrating Llama into the iPhone would have been a stark about-face. Apple also sees ChatGPT as a superior offering. Google, meanwhile, is already a partner for search in Apple’s Safari web browser, so a future Gemini deal would build on that relationship. Apple is also optimistic about results from its AI start-up Anthropic, with sources saying a chatbot could eventually be available. Notably, the deal with OpenAI allows paying ChatGPT customers to access their subscriptions within the iOS operating system. This could generate revenue for OpenAI, and Apple will take its cut from App Store commissions. The Tim Cook-led company’s new AI technology, Apple Intelligence, is set to roll out later this year as part of operating systems for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It includes features such as in-house tools for summarizing notifications, transcribing voice memos, and creating custom emojis. Apple Intelligence will be available to iPhone 15 Pro and later users. Meanwhile, iPad users with M1 and later chipsets will be able to harness the power of Apple intelligence to get a number of new AI features.