Apple and OpenAI iOS 18 accord could deal huge blow to Google – report

Apple will reportedly reveal a partnership with the ChatGPT-maker OpenAI at WWDC 2024, paving the way for AI chatbot functionality to be integrated within iOS 18.

According to the Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, Apple has opted to go with OpenAI (which is part owned by Microsoft) rather than strike a deal with Google to use its Gemini technology.

Apple has been working on developing its own generative AI chatbot, but the company has plenty of catching-up to do to match the companies currently blazing a trail.

As such, the intention to partner with one of them has been reported for months now. However, until very recently it was thought Apple was close to a deal with Google – similar to the one it has to integrate Google Search as the default provider in Safari – to provide chatbot integration.

However, Gurman now believes the deal has come together with OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman and Alan himself will be present at the WWDC keynote on June 10 to explain the extent of the functionality.

In his weekly Power On newsletter, Gurman writes: “…the company has held talks with both Google and OpenAI about integrating their chatbots into iOS 18. In March, it seemed like Apple and Google were nearing an agreement, and people on both sides felt like something could be hammered out by WWDC. But Apple ultimately sealed the deal sooner with OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman, and their partnership will be a component of the WWDC announcement.

“The arrangement is a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, Apple is acknowledging that it can’t compete in the hottest area of AI. But its deal with OpenAI gives it the most advanced chatbot — and a potential edge over Samsung devices, since they use Gemini.”

As Gurman points out, it’ll be a slight black eye for Apple – the current global technology leader – to have to rely on an upstart to power this next generation of human interaction with machines. However, the inflexibility of the Siri architecture is believed to have contributed to Apple’s difficulties in matching the AI leaders.