Bloomberg sources revealed that Apple and Meta did not discuss a partnership related to Meta's Llama chatbot, but only held brief talks in March. The partnership dialogue did not go to any formal stage, and Apple also has no plans to integrate Llama.

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Apple doesn't want to use Meta's AI chatbot for the iPhone. Photo: Bloomberg

The preliminary talks come around the time Apple began exploring deals to use OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Alphabet’s Gemini in its products. Earlier this month, the iPhone maker announced a partnership with OpenAI and plans to offer Gemini in the future.

According to the source, Apple has not entered into formal discussions with Meta in part because it feels that parent company Facebook's privacy practices are not strict enough. Apple has been critical of Meta's technology for years, so bringing Llama to the iPhone would go against that.

In addition, “Apple” also sees ChatGPT as a more advanced option. Meanwhile, Google – which is a search partner on the Safari browser – so the future agreement with Gemini is also based on an existing relationship.

At its 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple introduced a suite of artificial intelligence features called Apple Intelligence. These include tools it developed itself to summarize notifications, transcribe notes to text, and create custom emojis.

However, Apple’s chatbot technology is not as advanced as its competitors, forcing it to seek out partners. The company also believes that customers will want to be able to choose between different chatbots based on their needs, similar to how they switch between Google and Bing for searches.

Apple is also in talks with startup Anthropic to add another chatbot, according to Bloomberg. Apple Intelligence will roll out later this year as part of iOS 18.

Media reports say Apple won't have to spend money to bring ChatGPT to the iPhone, but they will allow customers to pay for subscriptions right in iOS 18, generating revenue for the software maker. At the same time, Apple also gets an App Store commission.

About a decade ago, Apple and Meta had a friendlier relationship when Tim Cook’s company integrated Facebook into iOS. But the two have become rivals in recent years in areas like AI, smart homes, and mixed reality headsets.

(According to Bloomberg)