Apple Seeks Permission to Use News Content for AI Development

Apple, the tech giant, has initiated discussions with major news and publishing organizations to gain access to their content for advancing their generative artificial intelligence (AI) projects. Reports suggest that Apple proposed deals worth $50 million or more to gain access to news archives from publishers like Condé Nast (known for Vogue and The New Yorker), NBC News, and IAC (owner of People and Better Homes and Gardens).

However, the reaction from these publishers has been lukewarm. They expressed concerns about the broad nature of Apple’s proposals, particularly regarding the licensing of their archives and potential legal liabilities associated with the use of their content. Apple’s vague plans on how generative AI would be applied in the news industry also raised some competitive concerns among publishers, given Apple’s substantial news audience on its devices.

While other tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI have been aggressively integrating AI into various products, Apple has been relatively reserved in this domain. Despite this, Apple made significant strides in its hardware, introducing new Mac computers and chips that were praised for their AI-related capabilities, particularly for AI researchers due to their extensive storage space.

Recent breakthroughs by Apple’s AI experts, specifically in implementing LLMs (Large Language Models) on Apple devices using innovative memory utilization techniques, have caught attention. This breakthrough involves running AI models directly on device storage rather than relying solely on RAM. This advancement is anticipated to enhance Siri, language translation capabilities, AI features for cameras and AR/VR, and even the Messages app.

These changes might pave the way for a more sophisticated Siri, improved language translation, and advanced AI features for cameras and AR/VR on iPhones. Additionally, it could enable more advanced chatbots and assistants on Apple devices. Anticipated enhancements, including Apple’s version of GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer), might debut with the release of iOS 18.