Apple Rejects AI Partnership Deal With Meta Over Privacy Concerns: Report

A new Bloomberg has said that Apple has no plans for such a collaboration with the Facebook parent.

Days after a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report said that potential discussions between Apple and Meta are going on regarding the integration of Meta’s AI models, a new report by news agency Bloomberg has said that Apple has no plans for such a collaboration with the Facebook parent, over privacy concerns. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple had brief discussions with Meta in March about a possible partnership.

During this period, Apple was engaging with several companies to explore the integration of their AI models with Apple devices.

"Discussions about a potential partnership did not reach a formal stage and Apple was not actively planning on integrating Llama into iPhones, because it does not consider Instagram owner Meta's privacy practices stringent enough," the Bloomberg report stated.

The WSJ report noted that Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc. engaged in discussions with Apple Inc. to explore the possibility of incorporating Meta's generative artificial intelligence (AI) model into Apple's newly-announced AI framework, Apple Intelligence.

The report further highlighted that collaborating with the social networking company could negatively impact Apple’s reputation, as the iPhone maker has frequently criticised Meta’s privacy practices.

Notably, earlier this month, Apple introduced its own set of AI features under the Apple Intelligence brand. Additionally, Apple announced a partnership with ChatGPT maker OpenAI, enabling iPhone users to use ChatGPT for specific queries.

The Wall Street Journal report added that AI startup Anthropic has also been in discussions with Apple about integrating its generative AI technology into Apple Intelligence, according to sources familiar with the situation.

Earlier this month, Apple unveiled its long-anticipated AI strategy, announcing the integration of its new Apple Intelligence technology across its suite of apps, including Siri. The company also plans to introduce ChatGPT to its devices. Apple emphasised that it aims to distinguish itself from competitors Microsoft and Google by prioritising privacy as a fundamental aspect of its features.