Apple has reportedly rejected any AI-related collaboration with Meta due to privacy concerns. According to Bloomberg, Apple and Meta had brief discussions about potential collaboration in March, but no progress was made, and Apple showed no intention of integrating Meta’s large language model, Llama, into its iOS system.
This news comes after The Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend that Apple and Meta were discussing the integration of Llama into iOS 18. However, Bloomberg’s subsequent report made it clear that Apple had already dismissed this idea.
The report states that Apple’s decision to discontinue formal discussions with Meta is partially due to Apple’s belief that Meta’s privacy protection measures are not strict enough. Sources claim that Apple has been critical of Meta’s technology for years and that integrating Meta’s Llama model into iPhones would be a significant shift.
However, it seems that Apple considers ChatGPT, or rather OpenAI, to be a better choice. Apple officially announced its collaboration with OpenAI and the integration of ChatGPT into the Apple ecosystem at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 11.
During the conference, Apple unveiled a range of AI features under the umbrella term “Apple Intelligence,” including notification summaries and emoji generation. However, when it comes to chatbot technology, Bloomberg suggests that Apple still has some catching up to do compared to its competitors, prompting the company to seek external partnerships.
Sources reveal that Apple is still in discussions with the AI startup Anthropic, considering their chatbot as one of the options for Apple Intelligence.
Despite Apple’s privacy concerns with Meta, the collaboration with ChatGPT has also raised concerns for others. For instance, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, immediately took to Twitter after Apple’s announcement to express his worries about potential security vulnerabilities. He stated that he would take measures to prohibit the use of Apple devices to protect his companies’ security.
Musk further criticized Apple, calling their decision absurd and suggesting that they lack the intelligence to develop their own AI while claiming to ensure user safety and privacy through OpenAI. He wrote, “Apple has no idea what actually happens to your data once they hand it over to OpenAI. They are selling you out.” Musk even declared that not only employees but also visitors entering his company must surrender their Apple devices, which will be stored in a Faraday Cage. This device shields electromagnetic fields, preventing any form of wireless communication with Apple devices from the outside and ensuring that internal company information remains confidential.
Sources: Bloomberg, MacRumors, Reuters