Despite being a major player in the AI race, Google‘s Gemini AI has not achieved the hoped-for success, hampered by biased training data and generating biased outputs. However, this hasn’t deterred Apple, which is reportedly in “active negotiations” to bring Google’s Gemini’s generative AI technology to the iPhone. According to a recent Bloomberg report, the Cupertino giant is exploring a potential partnership with Google to leverage the Gemini AI model for features on iPhone.
The new Bloomberg states that Apple’s future iPhones could be getting a serious AI boost and the company might leverage a combination of its own AI models and those from third-party developers to power these features. Interestingly, Apple has also had discussions with OpenAI about integrating its GPT models, though no deals have been finalised with either Google or OpenAI.
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Nearly every company is striving to incorporate AI into their products, and the smartphone market is no different. This year, several companies introduced their own AI-powered features, with companies like Samsung unleashing their Galaxy S24 lineup brimming with AI-powered features thanks to Google’s AI tech. Meanwhile, Google itself isn’t holding back, with its Pixel 8 devices showcasing the power of its in-house AI.
Even Apple head honcho Tim Cook said earlier this year that the company is investing “a tremendous amount of time and effort” in AI features, with plans to introduce them to iPhones “later this year,” though the specifics of Apple’s on-device generative AI for the upcoming iOS 18 update remain under wraps. Talks about potential partnerships with Google or OpenAI to power these features haven’t resulted in a finalised deal yet and the branding and implementation of such technology on Apple devices are still under discussion.
Apple’s job listings over the last year hint that the company has been testing an in-house chatbot called Apple GPT and a large language model (codenamed Ajax). However, it’s believed that Apple’s AI tech is less advanced than the competition and is just not there yet. With Apple playing catch-up with the competition, it seems like its best bet might be to partner with the likes of Google or OpenAI to bolster its on-device AI capabilities. The company is all set to hold its annual WWDC event sometime in June this year and Bloomberg reports that Apple is unlikely to announce a finalised AI deal with Google or OpenAI before the event.
