What you need to know
- Apple announced its debut in the AI landscape by unveiling Apple intelligence and a new partnership with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT to the iPhone.
- A new report suggests Apple is reportedly in a deal with Google to bring Gemini to its ecosystem.
- Rumors also indicated Apple could launch a paid subscription for Apple Intelligence with premium features and expedited services.
Major tech corporations are racing to hop onto the AI bandwagon. Microsoft and OpenAI are arguably the pioneers in the landscape, with companies like Google following suit. Admittedly, the rush is warranted if Microsoft's success with AI is anything to go by.
Microsoft became the world's most valuable, ahead of Apple for a few months. Market analysts attribute the growth of the tech firm's market valuation to its early investment and adoption of AI across its tech stack. Similarly, Apple (considered a late bloomer in the AI landscape) reclaimed the world's most valuable company crown from Microsoft a few days after unveiling Apple Intelligence at WWDC 2024.
Most of the announcements at the event were AI-themed, but Apple's new partnership with OpenAI was most noteworthy. The newly found partnership brings OpenAI's ChatGPT to the iPhone, giving Siri a much-needed overhaul. While Siri will continue to work as it always has, it'll be backed by ChatGPT for complex queries that require a more sophisticated and advanced model.
As it happens, ChatGPT isn't the only advanced model on Apple's alley. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says Google's Gemini might also make its way to the iPhone. This means that the Apple ecosystem will be fully loaded with three chatbots — out-of-the-box Siri, ChatGPT, and now Google Gemini.
Apple will reportedly announce its partnership with Google this fall. This perfectly aligns with Apple Intelligence and iOS 18's launch. The iPhone maker is also set to unveil its next lineup of iPhones, the 16 series.
A premium paid subscription for Apple Intelligence on the horizon?
Microsoft, OpenAI, and Google are arguably at the top of the AI food chain. These companies avail their AI services to users for free, but also have paid subscriptions for their exclusive and premium services. Copilot Pro offers premium features and priority access to GPT-4 and GPT-4 Turbo during peak hours.
Beyond driving more iPhone sales, Apple reportedly wants to leverage its AI services to drive profits. Gurman points out that Apple may eventually unveil a paid subscription for Apple Intelligence.
It's worth noting Apple's new flagship AI features will only be available on the iPhone 15 Pro or later. This might be a strategic move by Apple to get more people to switch to the iPhone or upgrade if using dated hardware. iPhone sales have taken a major hit in the past few years, especially in the Chinese market, greatly impacting revenue and profits.
