Apple Inc., according to people familiar with the matter. has resumed talks with OpenAI about using the startup’s technology to power some of the new iPhone features coming later this year.
The two companies have begun discussing the terms of a possible agreement and how OpenAI’s features would be integrated into Apple’s iOS 18, the next iPhone operating system, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private.
The move marks a resumption of dialogue between the companies. Apple spoke to OpenAI about a deal earlier this year, although work between the two parties has been minimal since then. Apple also remains in talks with Alphabet Inc.’s Google to license the company’s Gemini chatbot.
Apple has not yet made a final decision on which partners it will use, and there is no guarantee that a deal will be completed. It’s possible that the company will eventually reach an agreement with both OpenAI and Google—or choose a different vendor altogether. Representatives for Apple, OpenAI and Google declined to comment.
The next iPhone operating system will include several new features based on Apple’s own large language model—artificial intelligence software that can generate human-like text—but the company is also looking for partners to implement a chatbot-like feature. similar to ChatGPT from OpenAI. Bloomberg first reported in March about discussions that also included artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.
The latest development comes about a month and a half before Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, where the company is set to unveil new software and artificial intelligence services. The company plans to tout its features as being more seamlessly integrated into its devices than competing AI offerings, with better privacy protections.
Last year Cook said he personally uses ChatGPT OpenAI, but indicated that there are “a number of issues that need to be addressed.” He promised that new artificial intelligence features will come to Apple platforms in a “very thoughtful manner.”
Relying on partners will help Apple speed up the adoption of chatbots and avoid some risks. By outsourcing generative AI functions to another company, Cook is potentially reducing liability for his platform.